Improved Duncan-Chang model for reconstituted hydrate-bearing clayey silt from the South China Sea

The experimental testing and analysis of strength and deformation characteristics of hydrate reservoirs is an integral part of natural gas hydrate exploitation. However, studies so far have failed to deeply explore samples from the South China Sea. Especially, there is a lack of a simple and applicable method to estimate their mechanical behaviors. Thus, based on test data, an improved Duncan-Chang model is established in this paper to characterize the strength and deformation of reconstituted samples with various hydrate saturation and stress states from this area. This model can accurately describe the strainhardening characteristics, and failure strength is estimated by the improved Drucker-Prager criterion with high fitting accuracy. The initial elastic modulus and failure ratio are given by the proposed empirical models, which are obtained from experimental data and fitting methods. Generally, this model has several advantages including simple structure, favorable performances, and a limited number of model parameters. Therefore, it could be widely used in strength and deformation analysis. This study can support the prevention and control of geological risks during natural gas hydrate exploitation in the South China Sea.