Effects of Temperature and Suction on the Stiffness of Unsaturated Soil under Cyclic Loads

In the field of geo-energy (e.g., energy geo-structure and radioactive waste disposal), soils are often subjected to various temperature and suction conditions (Laloui and Di Donna, 2013). A fundamental understanding of thermal and suction effects on soil stiffness is therefore essential for predicting ground movement and dynamic response of geo-structures at the working condition. Up to now, many theoretical and experimental studies have demonstrated that soil behaviour is highly dependent on suction and temperature (e.g., Romero et al., 2003; François and Laloui, 2008). Most of these studies, however, focused on soil behaviour under monotonic loading. Thermal and suction effects on soil behaviour under cyclic loads are not fully understood.