The rate effect of cavity expansion is not only related to the drainage conditions of the soil surrounding the cavity
but also closely associated with the rate-dependent mechanical properties of the soil. Most existing cavity expansion theories primarily focus on the rate effect caused by partial drainage conditions
with little attention given to the combined influence of drainage conditions and the rate-dependent mechanical behavior of soil. By employing numerical analysis and utilizing the overstress elasto-viscoplastic (EVP) model
the study focuses on the partial drainage conditions during cylindrical cavity expansion. The analysis indicates that when only the effect of partial drainage conditions is considered
the total radial stress and shear stress decrease monotonically as the expansion velocity increases
and the expansion velocity ranging from 10 to 10 mm/s has a small impact on the total radial stress during the initial expansion stage. When the effect of partial drainage conditions and rate-dependent behavior is considered simultaneously
the total radial stress and shear stress gradually increase with the increase of expansion velocity during initial expansion stage
which is consistent with the results of in-situ self-boring pressuremeter tests conducted on the Burswood clay and Zhanjiang clay. With the cavity expansion
the radial total stress and shear stress show a pattern of first decreasing and then increasing with the increase of expansion velocity. Sensitivity analysis of the soil's viscoplastic parameters ( and ) reveals that
for a given expansion velocity
the total radial stress
shear strength
and initial shear modulus gradually decrease as or increase
with the rate of decrease diminishing over time. The expansion velocity
permeability coefficient
and overconsolidation ratio of the soil significantly impact the drainage conditions at the cavity wall
while the influence of and is relatively minor. The drainage conditions of the soil can be assessed using a dimensionless velocity
with values of corresponding to partial drainage conditions ranging from 0.04 to 250. It is suggested that the time-dependent mechanical behavior should be considered when applying cylindrical cavity expansion theory to analyze geotechnical problems related to cohesive soils.