Abstract: In order to study the creep characteristics of the sliding zone soil of the Huangtupo landslide under different consolidation stresses, the unidirectional load, load–unload, load–unload–reload tests were used to consolidate the sliding zone soil, and then the shear creep tests of the sliding zone soils in different consolidation states were carried out. The experimental results showed that the initial void ratio of the sliding zone soil was 0.49 and the compressibility coefficient a1-2 was between 0.37 and 0.45 MPa–1, belonging to the moderate compressibility soil. After unidirectional loading to the predetermined pressure, the void ratio of sliding zone soil reached to the maximum and the compression amount the minimum. After loading-unloading to the predetermined pressure, the void ratio of sliding zone soil was the minimum and the compression amount the maximum. The void ratio and compression amount after loading-unloading-reloading to the predetermined pressure was somewhere in the middle. For the same initial state sliding zone soil, after different loading-unloading consolidation state, under the same normal stress and shear stress level, the creep shear strain of unidirectional loading was the largest, but the creep shear strain of loading-unloading was the minimum. The creep shear characteristics of sliding zone soil are closely related with the loading state and the void ratio after loading. The Burgers model was used to fit the creep test data and the creep parameters of Maxwell model and Kelvin model were obtained. The fitting and test curves were in good agreement, which indicates that Burgers model can reflect the creep characteristics of sliding zone soil under different consolidation stresses.

Key words: sliding zone soil, consolidation stress, void ratio, creep characteristics, Burgers model