Structural softening,mesh dependence,and regularisation in non-associated plastic flow

A severe dependence of numerical simulations on the mesh density is usually attributed to the presence of strain softening in the constitutive relation. However, other material instabilities, like non-associated plastic flow, can also cause mesh sensitivity. Indeed, loss of ellipticity in quasi-static analyses is the fundamental cause of the observed mesh dependence. It has been known since long that non-associated plastic flow can cause loss of ellipticity, but the consequence for mesh sensitivity, and subsequently, for the difficulty of the equilibrium-finding iterative procedure to converge have remained largely unnoticed. We first demonstrate at the hand of a biaxial test structural softening and a marked mesh dependence for an ideally plastic material equipped with a non-associated flow rule. The phenomena are then analysed in depth using an infinitely long shear layer. Finally, it is shown that the mesh effect disappears when the standard continuum model is replaced by a Cosserat continuum, a well-known regularisation method for strain-softening constitutive relations.     

Numerical stability of non-local viscoplastic FEM analyses for the study of localisation processes

As is well known, numerically handling, by means of finite element codes, localisation problems involving softening materials is still quite delicate. As soon as strain localisation occurs, mesh dependence and serious problems of convergence take place. This paper deals with this type of problem in the case where localisation occurs in an ideal naturally cemented granular specimen tested under plane strain conditions. Different versions (a local elasto-plastic, a local viscoplastic and a non-local viscoplastic) of the same strain softening model are taken into consideration and the relative numerical results are critically discussed and compared. The snap-back problem is numerically taken into account and it has been demonstrated to be affected not only by the softening parameters but also by the viscous nucleus definition. To highlight the relationship between viscosity and non-locality, the results of a numerical parametric analysis are finally discussed.     

Numerical simulations of simple shear with non‐coaxial soil models

This paper investigates the effects of a non‐coaxial model on simulated stress–strain behaviour of granular materials subject to simple shearing under various initial conditions. In most cases, a significant difference of predictions between coaxial and non‐coaxial modelling is found during the early stage in shearing. With the increase in shearing, non‐coaxial simulations approach and tend to coincide with coaxial simulations. It is also found that the roles of non‐coaxial modelling in simulating simple shear behaviour are considerably influenced by hardening rules, flow rules, initial static lateral pressure coefficients. In some cases, the non‐coaxial modelling gives a similar simulation as the coaxial modelling. In other cases, the non‐coaxial modelling decreases the hardening response or softening response of materials, compared with the coaxial modelling. Under certain conditions, the predicted peak strength of materials with non‐coaxial modelling is larger than that for coaxial modelling. Some of these observations can be attributed to the amount of principal stress rotation in various cases analysed. Others can be attributed to the difference between the directions of the non‐coaxial plastic flow and those for coaxial plastic flow. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rheological and kinematical responses to flow of two-phase rocks

Numerical simulations have been performed to investigate the strain-dependent behaviour of rheological and kinematical responses to flow of two-phase rocks using the commercial finite-difference program FLAC2D. It was assumed that the two phases have Maxwell rheology. Plane strain and velocity boundary condition, which produces a simple shear deformation, were also assumed. Two types of geometries were considered: strong phase supported (SPS) and weak phase supported (WPS). We calculated strain-dependent variations of effective viscosity and partitioning of strain rate, vorticity and kinematic vorticity number during deformation in both SPS and WPS structure models.The results show that the strain-dependent behaviour is largely influenced by the geometry of the composite. SPS models show both strain hardening and strain softening during the simulations, with strain hardening preceding strain softening. A critical shear strain is necessary to begin the strain softening behaviour. Strain hardening and strain softening are accompanied by a reduction and an increase of the partition of strain rate into the weak phase, respectively. On the other hand, WPS models show only weak strain hardening and strain softening, being the strain-dependent behaviour close to a steady state flow. In addition, the following results are obtained on vorticity and kinematic vorticity number; (1) in both SPS and WPS models the partition of vorticity into weak phase increases with progressive shear strain, i.e. the strong phase becomes less rotational, (2) in SPS models weak inclusions changes from sub-simple shear to super-simple shear with progressive strain, whereas the strong matrix changes from super-simple shear to sub-simple shear, (3) in WPS models the strong inclusions with high viscosity contrasts are less rotational but can be in super-simple shear condition to high strains.The observed strain-dependent behaviours have been compared with previous proposed analytical models. The degree of agreement is variable. Balshin and Ryshkewitch–Duckworth models are only applicable to SPS models. Ji-generalized mixture rule model is applicable to both models.The results suggest that polyphase rocks with SPS structure during ductile shear deformation respond as strain softening materials, after an initial strain hardening stage that may drive to the strain localization into the material.     

Ground response curves for rock masses exhibiting strain‐softening behaviour

A literature review has shown that there exist adequate techniques to obtain ground reaction curves for tunnels excavated in elastic‐brittle and perfectly plastic materials. However, for strain‐softening materials it seems that the problem has not been sufficiently analysed. In this paper, a one‐dimensional numerical solution to obtain the ground reaction curve (GRC) for circular tunnels excavated in strain‐softening materials is presented. The problem is formulated in a very general form and leads to a system of ordinary differential equations. By adequately defining a fictitious ‘time’ variable and re‐scaling some variables the problem is converted into an initial value one, which can be solved numerically by a Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg method, which is implemented in MATLAB environment. The method has been developed for various common particular behaviour models including Tresca, Mohr–Coulomb and Hoek–Brown failure criteria, in all cases with non‐associative flow rules and two‐segment piecewise linear functions related to a principal strain‐dependent plastic parameter to model the transition between peak and residual failure criteria. Some particular examples for the different failure criteria have been run, which agree well with closed‐form solutions—if existing—or with FDM‐based code results. Parametric studies and specific charts are created to highlight the influence of different parameters. The proposed methodology intends to be a wider and general numerical basis where standard and newly featured behaviour modes focusing on obtaining GRC for tunnels excavated in strain‐softening materials can be implemented. This way of solving such problems has proved to be more efficient and less time consuming than using FEM‐ or FDM‐based numerical 2D codes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Viscoelastic damage model for asphalt concrete

The strain rate-dependent mechanical behavior of asphalt concrete was characterized using unconfined compression tests carried out at different loading rates. It was shown that at high strain rates, the elastic deformation and peak axial stress are highly sensitive to strain rate. Both increase as the strain rate increases. At very low strain rates, elastic response and unconfined compressive strength are relatively independent of the loading rate. Based on the experimental observations, a simple viscoelastic damage model is proposed for the strain rate-dependent unconfined compression behavior of asphalt concrete. In the model, strain rate response is modeled by a two-component viscoelastic model consisting of a constant elastic modulus and a viscous modulus that is related by a power-law function to the axial strain rate. Failure and strain softening are modeled via a damage formulation where damage evolution in the asphalt concrete is given by a simple form of the Weibull distribution function. The model was shown to be capable of describing the strain rate-dependent deformation, compressive strength, strain-softening and creep behavior of asphalt concrete. The model is relatively simple and requires only five material parameters.     

土体固结弹塑性分析的参数二次规划理论及有限元解

基于广义Ｂｉｏｔ理论对土体弹塑性固结过程进行求解，建立了问题对应的参变量变分理论，并给出了数学证明，对此基础上推导了有限元分析列式，问题的求解最终化为参数二次规划问题，本文提出的方法适用于固结弹塑性分析的关联与非关流流动问题，也可处理各类软化问题。     

Strain-dependent rheology and the memory of plasticine

Plasticine and plasticine-like materials have been widely used as analogue materials for experimental deformation, but not many workers have conducted detailed investigations on their rheology. The physical properties of Beck's green and black plasticine, a modelling material made in Gomaringen, Germany, and plasticine/oil mixtures were investigated by means of uniaxial compression and relaxation tests. Beck's plasticine is a non-Newtonian fluid characterised by strain rate-dependent plastic yielding and strain hardening. Strain hardening is more pronounced at low strain rates leading to an increase of both stress exponent and viscosity. The addition of oil leads to an increase of the stress exponent and a decrease in viscosity. The strain dependence of viscosity decreases with increasing oil content. Compression tests on preflattened plasticine were also conducted in order to study possible ‘strain memory’ of the materials. Preflattened plasticine is characterised by a later onset of yielding and an increase in both stress exponent and viscosity. Our results suggest that Beck's green and black plasticine is a suitable analogue material for modelling rocks that deform by dislocation creep and exhibit pronounced strain hardening. Nevertheless, plane strain modelling of boudinage has verified analytical solutions for the dominant wavelength at viscosity contrasts of approximately 1.5 and 2.5.     

Single hardening constitutive model for frictional materials III. Comparisons with experimental data

A unified constitutive model for the behavior of frictional materials is described. The model is based on concepts from elasticity and plasticity theories. In addition to Hooke's law for the elastic behavior, the framework for the plastic behavior consists of a failure criterion, a nonassociated flow rule, a yield criterion that describes contours of equal plastic work, and a work-hardening/softening law. The functions that describe these components are all expressed in terms of stress invariants. The model incorporates twelve parameters which can all be determined from simple experiments such as isotropic compression and conventional triaxial compression tests. Validation of the model is achieved by comparison of predicted and measured stress-strain curves for various two- and three-dimensional stress-paths obtained for different types of frictional materials.     

Adaptive finite element analysis of mode I fracture in cement‐based materials

Microscopic studies using advanced experimental techniques have provided better insight into the fracture mechanisms in cement‐based materials. A clear understanding of fracture mechanisms is critical for the development of rigorous computational models for analysing fracture. Fracture analysis is usually carried out by finite element method. Accuracy of FE analysis depends upon the choice of mesh and for the predictions to be reliable, discretization errors are to be minimized. In cohesive crack approach, the non‐linearity is limited to the boundary conditions along the geometric discontinuity while the bulk of the material retains its elastic nature. The paper presents a mesh‐adaptive strategy based on ZZ error estimator to model discrete crack propagation in cement‐based materials. Examples of simulations have demonstrated the potential of the mesh‐adaptive technique in modelling the evolution of the localized strain profiles as well as failure of concrete test specimen. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An elastoplastic constitutive model for rockfills incorporating energy dissipation of nonlinear friction and particle breakage

A new elastoplastic model is developed for rockfills within the general critical state framework incorporating the state parameter. Two state functions are proposed to characterize the evolution of volume dilation and strain softening of rockfills, and a modified breakage index based on the concept of Hardin's relative breakage is defined to describe the progressive crushing of rockfills. The nonassociated plastic flow rule is derived from a state dependent dilatancy equation, and it incorporates energy dissipation due to intrinsic nonlinear friction and particle breakage upon shearing. Thus, their couple effect on the plastic deviatoric and volumetric deformation of rockfills is taken into account in the current model. The numerical analyses are carried out for a series of drained triaxial tests on the modeled rockfills at various consolidation pressures and stress paths. The volume dilation/contraction and strain softening/hardening of rockfills are accurately predicted by the proposed model, and the particle breakage and nonlinear critical state shear strength of rockfills are also well captured. The research findings indicate that the current model is applicable to represent the complex stress–strain–volume change behavior of rockfills in general. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An approach to calculating large strain accumulation for discrete element simulations of granular media

For research on granular materials, establishing a method to calculate continuum strain from particle displacements is necessary for understanding the material behaviour at macro-level and developing continuum constitutive models. Existing methods are generally based on constructing a mesh or background grid to calculate strain from particle motions. These methods offer rigorous ways to measure strain for granular materials; however, they suffer from several problems such as mesh distortion and lacking grid-to-particle strain mapping procedure, which hinders their capability of calculating strain accumulation during large deformation processes of granular media. To address this issue, this study proposes a new strain calculation method for discrete element simulations of granular materials. This method describes a particle assembly as an equivalent continuum system of material points, each of which corresponds to a particle centre and represents a continuous region with its initial volume/area presumably equal to the volume/area of Voronoi cells generated in accordance with the particle assembly configuration. Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) interpolation functions are then employed to calculate strain for these material points. This SPH-based method does not require any mesh or background grid for computation, leading to advantages in calculating strain accumulation under large deformation. Simulations of granular materials in both uniform and heterogeneous gradations were carried out, and strain results obtained by the proposed method indicate good agreements with analytical and numerical solutions. This demonstrates its potential for strain calculations in discrete element simulations of granular materials involving large deformations and/or large displacements.     

A Generalized Backward Euler algorithm for the numerical integration of a viscous breakage model

This paper discusses the formulation and the numerical performance of a fully implicit algorithm used to integrate a rate-dependent model defined within a breakage mechanics framework. For this purpose, a Generalized Backward Euler (GBE) algorithm has been implemented according to two different linearization strategies: The former is derived by a direct linearization of the constitutive equations, while the latter introduces rate effects through a consistency parameter. The accuracy and efficiency of the GBE algorithm have been investigated by (1) performing material point analyses and (2) solving initial boundary value problems. In both cases, the overall performance of the underlying algorithm is inspected for a range of loading rates, thus simulating comminution from slow to fast dynamic problems. As the viscous response of the breakage model can be recast through a viscous nucleus function, the presented algorithm can be considered as a general framework to integrate constitutive equations relying on the overstress approach typical of Perzyna-like viscoplastic models.     

Simulation of localization failure with strain‐gradient‐enhanced damage mechanics

Strain gradient implies an important characteristic in localized damage deformation, which can be observed in the softening state of brittle materials, and strain gradients constitute the basic behaviours of localization failure area of the materials. The most important point in strain gradient is its damaging function including an internal length scale, which can be used to express the scale effects of mechanical responses of brittle rock mass. By extending the strain gradient theory and introducing an intrinsic material length scale into the constitutive law, the authors develop an isotropic damage model as well as a micro‐crack‐based anisotropic damage model for rock‐like materials in this paper. The proposed models were used to simulate the damage localization under uniaxial tension and plain strain compression, respectively. The simulated results well illustrated the potential of these models in dealing with the well‐known mesh‐sensitivity problem in FEM. In the computation, elements with C₁ continuity have been implemented to incorporate the proposed models for failure localization. When regular rectangle elements are encountered, the coupling between finite difference method (FDM) and conventional finite element method (FEM) is used to avoid large modification to the existing FEM code, and to obtain relatively higher efficiency and reasonably good accuracy. Application of the anisotropic model to the 3D‐non‐linear FEM analysis of Ertan arch dam has been conducted and the results of its numerical simulation coincide well with those from the failure behaviours obtained by Ertan geophysical model test. In this paper, new applications of gradient theories and models for a feasible approach to simulate localized damage in brittle materials are presented. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于Cosserat理论的重力坝深层抗滑稳定分析

重力坝深层滑动主要表现为沿缓倾角的软弱结构面形成滑移通道,滑移通道内应变积聚且应变梯度急剧不连续,是典型的应变局部化现象,采用经典连续介质理论进行数值模拟时存在病态的有限元网格依赖性。引入Cosserat连续体理论作为正则化机制,提出了基于Cosserat理论的Mohr-Coulomb弹塑性模型,考虑非关联的流动法则,在经典塑性理论框架下采用向后Euler隐式积分算法进行应力更新。采用ABAQUS的自定义单元接口（UEL）进行二次开发,进行了平面应变条件下单轴受压的数值验证。数值模拟结果表明,该模型能保证应变局部化问题的正定性。基于Cosserat理论的重力坝深层抗滑稳定分析结果表明,采用超载法进行重力坝渐进破坏过程模拟时,基于经典连续体理论的模拟结果有较大的网格依赖性,而且结果偏于安全,而采用Cosserat连续体理论的结果对网格密度不敏感。     

Numerically observed shear bands in soft sensitive clays

The numerical challenges that arise in modelling shear bands in soft sensitive (SS) clays have not yet been fully resolved. Convincing and well-accepted solutions have yet to be found. This paper presents some novel information related to the shear band phenomenon in SS clays. In this study, the hypothesis is that the generation and dissipation of excess pore pressure from shear bands could regularise the strain softening and result in a mesh independent shear band thickness. The generation and dissipation of excess pressure is modelled by a coupled consolidation process. The simulation aims at modelling two counteracting mechanisms in the SS clay. First, the shear band narrows because of strain softening. Second, the internal pore water pressure drainage reduces the rate of strain softening. This counteracting mechanism provides an inherent regularisation technique for SS clays. This study presents some numerical results involving these two counteracting mechanisms. This study also shows that an inherent internal parameter applicable for SS clays can be defined by the ratio between soil permeability and the applied strain rate. In the case of SS clays, the range of this parameter varies from 0 to 0.0002 mm.     

考虑软土结构性损伤的柱形孔扩张理论分析

采用考虑结构性损伤的四折线应变软化模型,针对管桩沉桩过程中产生的挤土效应,得出改进的柱形孔扩张理论解,并与已有模型进行对比分析,结果表明,简化的四折线模型与软土的典型压缩曲线最为接近,提出了四折线模型中各直线段和相应参数的确定方法。采用Mohr-Coulomb屈服准则和相关联流动法则,提出了桩周不同区域内土体的应力、应变计算公式,给出了极限软化半径、极限破坏半径和极限扩张压力的计算方法。结合工程实例,通过对比分析发现,四折线模型的位移计算值与实测值最为接近,能更好地符合管桩挤土效应的实际情况。     

Predictive potential of Perzyna viscoplastic modelling for granular geomaterials

This paper reappraises Perzyna-type viscoplasticity for the constitutive modelling of granular geomaterials, with emphasis on the simulation of rate/time effects of different magnitude. An existing elasto-plastic model for sands is first recast into a Perzyna viscoplastic formulation and then calibrated/validated against laboratory test results on Hostun sand from the literature. Notable model features include (1) enhanced definition of the viscous nucleus function and (2) void ratio dependence of stiffness and viscous parameters, to model the pycnotropic behaviour of granular materials with a single set of parameters, uniquely identified against standard creep and triaxial test results. The comparison between experimental data and numerical simulations points out the predicative capability of the developed model and the complexity of defining a unique viscous nucleus function to capture sand behaviour under different loading/initial/boundary and drainage conditions. It is concluded that the unified viscoplastic simulation of both drained and undrained response is particularly challenging within Perzyna's framework and opens to future research in the area. The discussion presented is relevant, for instance, to the simulation of multiphase strain localisation phenomena, such as those associated to slope stability problems in variably saturated soils.     

Tectonic inheritance and kinematic strain localization as trigger for the formation of the Helvetic nappes,Switzerland

The Helvetic nappes in Switzerland consist of sediments, which have been sheared off and thrust over the crystalline basement of the European passive continental margin during Alpine orogeny. Their basal shear zones usually root above the external crystalline massifs. However, the mechanisms that initiated the shear zones and the associated nappe formation are still debated. We perform two-dimensional numerical simulations of the shearing of linear viscous fluids above a linear viscous fluid with considerably higher viscosity (quasi-undeformable). The boundary between the fluid, mimicking the sediments, and the quasi-undeformable fluid, mimicking the basement, exhibits geometrical perturbations, mimicking half-grabens. These geometrical perturbations can trigger significant strain localization and the formation of shear zones within the linear viscous fluid although no rheological softening mechanism is active. This kinematic, ductile strain localization is caused by the half-grabens and the viscosity ratio between basement and sediments. The viscosity ratio has a strong control on the kinematics of strain localization, whereas the depth of the half-grabens has a weak control. For sediment viscosities in the order of 10²¹ Pas and typical half-graben geometries of 5 km depth and 25 km width the localization generates (a) low-angle shear zones at the basement-sediment interface, but also entirely within the sediments, (b) horizontal transport >10 km associated with the shear zones, (c) shear zones with thickness in the order of 100 m, (d) an ordered stacking of model nappes and (e) shear zones that root above the basement. The results suggest that tectonic inheritance in the form of half-grabens and associated kinematic strain localization could have been the triggering mechanism for Helvetic nappe formation, and not rheological softening mechanisms, which might, however, have subsequently further intensified shear localization significantly.     

Finite element analysis of strain localization in frictional materials

Numerical examples are given which illustrate the poor performance of conventional finite elements in problems involving strain localization in frictional materials. In one of the cases investigated, that of granular media subjected to plane strain biaxial loading, isoparametric elements are seen to inhibit localization altogether. With these examples by way of motivation, the performance of a recently proposed finite element method in the context of strain localization in frictional materials is assessed, with particular emphasis on three-dimensional problems. In passing, some issues pertaining to the post-bifurcation response of biaxial specimens are examined. In particular, the numerical simulations suggest that the observed softening is a geometrical effect not attributable to constitutive behaviour.