Three‐dimensional elasto‐plastic model for unsaturated compacted soils with different initial densities

This paper presents an elasto‐plastic model for unsaturated compacted soils and experimental results obtained from a series of suction‐controlled triaxial tests on unsaturated compacted clay with different initial densities. The initial density dependency of the compacted soil behaviour is modelled by establishing experimental relationships between the initial density and the corresponding yield stress and thereby between the initial density and the location and slope of normal compression line. The model is generalized to three‐dimensional stress states by assuming that the shapes of the failure surface and the yield surface in the deviatoric plane are given by the extended SMP criterion. A considerable number of the isotropic compression, triaxial compression and extension tests on unsaturated compacted clay with different initial densities were performed using a suction‐controllable triaxial apparatus, to measure the stress–strain–volume change in different stress paths and wetting paths. The model has well‐predicting capabilities to reproduce the mechanical behaviour of specimens compacted under different conditions not only in isotropic compression but also in triaxial compression and triaxial extension. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

非饱和土三轴压缩应力路径试验的数值模拟研究

应力路径对土的强度和变形性质具有重要影响。相对于饱和土而言,控制吸力条件下的非饱和土三轴压缩状态的应力路径研究更加复杂。随着非饱和土本构理论的不断发展,理论和试验研究结果表明,非饱和土弹塑性本构模型可以用来近似地描述非饱和土的强度和变形性质。因而,运用非饱和土弹塑性本构模型对控制吸力条件下的3种非饱和土三轴压缩应力路径试验进行数值模拟是一种有效的理论研究手段。采用Barcelona模型能够对此类试验进行较好的数值模拟,其研究结果表明,在控制吸力条件的三轴压缩状态下应力路径对非饱和土的强度和变形性质具有重要影响。     

A bounding surface model for unsaturated soils considering the microscopic pore structure and interparticle bonding effect due to water menisci

The interparticle bonding effect due to water menisci plays an important role in the hydromechanical coupling properties of unsaturated soils. This paper presents an unsaturated hydromechanical coupling model that considers the influence of matric suction, degree of saturation, and microscopic pore structure on the interparticle bonding effect. The enhanced effective stress and bonding variable are selected as constitutive variables. The bonding variable is correlated with the ratio between unsaturated void ratio and saturated void ratio. The deformation characteristics of unsaturated soils are described based on the bounding surface plasticity theory. A soil–water characteristic model that considers deformation and hydraulic hysteresis is integrated into the constitutive model to achieve hydromechanical coupling. The proposed model can effectively describe the hydromechanical coupling characteristics and the meniscus bonding force of unsaturated bimodal structure soils; the model parameters can be easily obtained through routine experiments. The experimental results of unsaturated isotropic compression, the wetting/drying cycle, and unsaturated triaxial shear tests are used to validate the capability of the proposed model.

     

Cavity expansion in unsaturated soils exhibiting hydraulic hysteresis considering three drainage conditions

Cavity expansion theory assists in the interpretation of in situ tests including the cone penetration test and pressuremeter test. In this paper, a cavity expansion analysis is presented for unsaturated silty sand exhibiting hydraulic hysteresis. The similarity technique is used in the analysis. The soil stress–strain behaviour is described by a bounding surface plasticity model. Results of oedometric compression tests, isotropic compression tests and triaxial shear tests for both saturated and unsaturated states are used to calibrate the model. The void ratio, suction, degree of saturation and effective stress are fully coupled in the analysis. The influence of where the initial hydraulic state is located on the soil–water characteristic curve on the cavity wall pressure is investigated and found to be significant. Also, the effects of three different drainage conditions (constant suction, constant moisture content and constant contribution of suction to the effective stress) on cavity wall pressure are studied. It is found that the drainage condition in which the contribution of suction to the effective stress is constant offers a good approximation to the other two. This may simplify interpretation of in situ tests. When testing occurs quickly, meaning a constant moisture content condition prevails, a constant contribution of suction condition can be assumed without loss of significant accuracy. The contribution of suction assumed in the interpretation can be taken as being equal to the in situ value, although this discovery may not be applicable to all soil types, constitutive models and soil–water characteristic curves. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A bounding surface plasticity model for unsaturated soil at small strains

Most existing hydromechanical models for unsaturated soils are not able to fully capture the nonlinearity of stress–strain curves at small strains (less than 1%). They cannot therefore, for example, accurately predict ground movements and the performance of many earth structures under working conditions. To tackle this problem, a state‐dependent bounding surface plasticity model has been newly developed. Particularly, the degradation of shear modulus with strain at small strains ranging from 0.001% to 1% is focused. The proposed model is formulated in terms of mean average skeleton stress, deviator stress, suction, specific volume and degree of saturation. Void ratio‐dependent hydraulic hysteresis is coupled with the stress–strain behaviour. Different from other elastoplastic models for unsaturated soils, plastic strains are allowed inside bounding surfaces. In this paper, details of model formulations and calibration procedures of model parameters are presented. To evaluate the capability of the new model, it is applied to simulate a series of triaxial compression tests on compacted unsaturated silt at various suctions. Effects of suction, drying and wetting as well as net stress on unsaturated soil behaviour are well captured. The model shows good predictions of the degradation of shear modulus with strain over a wide range of strains from 0.001% to 1%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A density‐dependent elastoplastic hydro‐mechanical model for unsaturated compacted soils

This paper presents a three‐dimensional elastoplastic constitutive model for predicting the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils. It is based on experimental results obtained from a series of controlled‐suction triaxial tests on unsaturated compacted clay with different initial densities. Hydraulic hysteresis in the water‐retention behaviour is modelled as an elastoplastic process, with the elastic part modelled by a series of scanning curves and the elastoplastic part modelled by the main drying and wetting curves. The effect of void ratio on the water‐retention behaviour is studied using data obtained from controlled‐suction wetting–drying cyclic tests on unsaturated compacted clay with different initial densities. The effect of the degree of saturation on the stress–strain‐strength behaviour and the effect of void ratio on the water‐retention behaviour are considered in the model, as is the effect of suction on the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour. The initial density dependency of the compacted soil behaviour is modelled by experimental relationships between the initial density and the corresponding yield stress and, thereby, between the initial density and the normal compression line. The model is generalized to three‐dimensional stress states by assuming that the shapes of the failure and yield surfaces in the deviatoric stress plane are given by the Matsuoka–Nakai criterion. Model predictions of the stress–strain and water‐retention behaviour are compared with those obtained from triaxial tests with different initial densities under isotropic compression, triaxial compression and triaxial extension, with or without variation in suction. The comparisons indicate that the model accurately predicts the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated compacted soils with different initial densities using the same material constant. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

吸力历史对非饱和土力学性质的影响

现在被广泛公认的由Fredlund提出的非饱和土力学的双参数理论,即净应力和吸力为非饱和土的应力状态变量,不能直接考虑吸力历史及其饱和度对非饱和土的应力-应变关系和强度的影响。非饱和土三轴试验结果表明,即使净应力和吸力相同的条件下,经过干-湿循环试样与未经过干-湿循环试样的应力比-应变关系和强度是不相同的。在其他条件相同时,经历过干-湿循环的试样比未经过干-湿循环试样的应力比-应变关系要高、强度大和体变小。经过干-湿循环试样的饱和度低而强度高,主要是由于经过先期较高的吸力,相当于受过较大的前期有效压力,使试样成为超固结土。更多不同吸力历史的对比试验有待于进一步研究,以便为非饱和土的水力-力学特性耦合弹塑性本构模型定量地表示上述非饱和土的性质提供基础性试验数据。     

ACMEG‐TS: A constitutive model for unsaturated soils under non‐isothermal conditions

This paper introduces an unconventional constitutive model for soils, which deals with a unified thermo‐mechanical modelling for unsaturated soils. The relevant temperature and suction effects are studied in light of elasto‐plasticity. A generalized effective stress framework is adopted, which includes a number of intrinsic thermo‐hydro‐mechanical connections, to represent the stress state in the soil. Two coupled constitutive aspects are used to fully describe the non‐isothermal behaviour. The mechanical constitutive part is built on the concepts of bounding surface theory and multi‐mechanism plasticity, whereas water retention characteristics are described using elasto‐plasticity to reproduce the hysteretic response and the effect of temperature and dry density on retention properties. The theoretical formulation is supported by comparisons with experimental results on two compacted clays. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coupled modelling of hydro‐mechanical behaviour of unsaturated compacted expansive soils

The Barcelona basic model cannot predict the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils, whereas the Barcelona expansive model (BExM) can only predict the stress–strain behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils without the water‐retention behaviour being incorporated. Moreover, the micro‐parameters and the coupling function between micro‐structural and macro‐structural strains in the BExM are difficult to determine. Experimental data show that the compression curves for non‐expansive soils under constant suctions are shifted towards higher void ratios with increasing suction, whereas the opposite is true for expansive soils. According to the observed water‐retention behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils, the air‐entry value increases with density, and the relationship between the degree of saturation and void ratio is linear at constant suction. According to the above observation, an elastoplastic constitutive model is developed for predicting the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils, based on the existing hydro‐mechanical model for non‐expansive unsaturated soil. The model takes into consideration the effect of degree of saturation on the mechanical behaviour and that of void ratio on the water‐retention behaviour. The concept of equivalent void ratio curve is introduced to distinguish the plastic potential curve from the yield curve. The model predictions are compared with the test results of an unsaturated expansive soil, including swelling tests under constant net stress, isotropic compression tests and triaxial shear tests under constant suction. The comparison indicates that the model offers great potential for quantitatively predicting the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于SFG模型的统一屈服面本构模型与试验研究

将SFG模型中的加载湿陷屈服面（LC屈服面）与BBM模型中提出的吸力增加屈服面（SI屈服面）统一成为单独光滑的屈服面,基于弹塑性理论框架,推导出相应的弹塑性本构模型。通过非饱和固结直剪试验对江西红土的模型计算参数的应力-应变曲线与试验结果进行对比。结果表明：模型对多种应力路径下非饱和三轴试验的计算结果与相应试验的测定结果较为吻合,验证了模型能较好地模拟非饱和土在多种应力路径下的体应变行为。统一屈服面简化了加载湿陷屈服面与吸力增加屈服面之间的耦合分析,解决了因双屈服面的不连续而造成计算不便问题,拓宽了SFG模型的适用性。     

Fibre reinforced sands: from experiments to modelling and beyond

Based on hypotheses derived directly from experimental observations of the triaxial behaviour, a constitutive model for fibre reinforced sands is built in this paper. Both the sand matrix and the fibres obey their own constitutive law, whereas their contributions are superimposed using a volumetric homogenization procedure. The Severn‐Trent sand model, which combines well‐known concepts such as critical state theory, Mohr‐Coulomb like strength criterion, bounding surface plasticity and kinematic hardening, is adopted for the sand matrix. Although the fibres are treated as discrete forces with defined orientation, an equivalent continuum stress for the fibre phase is derived to allow the superposition of effects of sand and fibres. The fibres are considered as purely tensile elements following a linear elastic constitutive rule. The strain in the fibres is expressed as a fraction of the strain in the reinforced sample so that imperfect bonding is assumed at the sand‐fibre interface. Only those fibres oriented within the tensile strain domain of the sample can mobilize tensile stress—the orientation of fibres is one of the key ingredients to capture the anisotropic behaviour of fibre reinforced soil that is observed for triaxial compression and extension loading. A further mechanism of partition of the volume of voids between the fibres and the sand matrix is introduced and shown to be fundamental for the simulation of the volumetric behaviour of fibre‐reinforced soils. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A plasticity constitutive model for unsaturated,anisotropic, nonexpansive soils

The paper describes and evaluates an incremental plasticity constitutive model for unsaturated, anisotropic, nonexpansive soils (CMUA). It is based on the modified Cam-Clay (MCC) model for saturated soils and enhances it by introducing anisotropy (via rotation of the MCC yield surface) and an unsaturated compressibility framework describing a double dependence of compressibility on suction and on the degree of saturation of macroporosity. As the anisotropic and unsaturated features can be activated independently, the model is downwards compatible with the MCC model. The CMUA model can simulate effectively: the dependence of compressibility on the level of developed anisotropy, uniqueness of critical state independent of the initial anisotropy, an evolving compressibility during constant suction compression, and a maximum of collapse. The model uses Bishop's average skeleton stress as its first constitutive variable, favouring its numerical implementation in commercial numerical analysis codes (eg, finite element codes) and a unified treatment of saturated and unsaturated material states.     

应力路径对地表变形特性影响的数值模拟

针对不同环境条件及工程因素对地表变形影响的不同特点,研究了不同应力状态下土的变形特性,得出其影响地表变形的基本规律。通过典型三轴试验对比分析了变形规律,由试验数据空间反演了各应力路径下的本构模型空间,编制相应的模块嵌入有限元程序,模拟了几种不同路径下地表沉降算例,得到了导致地表变形的几个基本规律：①不同的地表变形问题对应的应力路径千差万别,需要用不同的应力路径条件下的本构模型进行分析;②应力路径的影响是不可忽略的,甚至在诸多因素中起主导作用;③数值建模方法建立起来的模型通过权值系列的不同反映应力路径的影响,能较好应用于此类问题的分析;④CTC与TC路径极限体变相差近20 %;⑤CTC路径的剪缩区范围比CTE路径大,两种路径下剪缩体应变值最大相差近17.3 %;CTE路径较CTC路径的剪胀更为明显,剪胀体应变最大相对差值近98 %。     

基于状态曲面的非饱和土强度准则及其验证

考虑体变对非饱和土土-水状态的影响,将状态曲面函数引入传统的Vanapalli强度公式得到与孔隙比相关的抗剪强度准则,新准则使用饱和土的强度参数和两条不同孔隙比对应的土-水特征曲线。选择一种尾矿砂和高岭土的混合土料为研究对象,进行一系列的土-水特征曲线试验、吸力控制的等向压缩和三轴剪切试验。试验结果表明,新准则能更准确地预测非饱和土的强度,证明了传统强度预测的误差主要来源于忽略了体变导致的土-水状态变化,并提出在不同应力空间内精确地获得抗剪强度包线的方法,合理地解释了强度包线斜率在净应力-强度平面内随吸力增大、强度包线形状在吸力-强度平面内随净应力发生变化的特性。     

Explicit integration of bounding surface model for the analysis of earthquake soil liquefaction

This paper presents a new plasticity model developed for the simulation of monotonic and cyclic loading of non‐cohesive soils and its implementation to the commercial finite‐difference code FLAC, using its User‐Defined‐Model (UDM) capability. The new model incorporates the framework of Critical State Soil Mechanics, while it relies upon bounding surface plasticity with a vanished elastic region to simulate the non‐linear soil response. Stress integration of constitutive relations is performed using a recently proposed explicit scheme with automatic error control and substepping, which so far has been employed in the literature only for constitutive models aiming at monotonic loading. The overall accuracy of this scheme is evaluated at element level by simulating cyclic loading along complex stress paths and by using iso‐error maps for paths involving change of the Lode angle. The performance of the new constitutive model and its stress integration scheme in complex boundary value problems involving earthquake‐induced liquefaction is evaluated, in terms of accuracy and computational cost, via a number of parametric analyses inspired by the successful simulation of the VELACS centrifuge Model Test No. 2 studying the lateral spreading response of a liquefied sand layer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils using a genetic algorithm-based neural network

Modelling the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils has been the subject of many research works in the past few decades. A number of constitutive models have been developed to describe the complex behaviour of unsaturated soils. Despite the significant advances in the constitutive theories for unsaturated soils, none of the existing models can completely describe the various aspects of the real behaviour of unsaturated soils. In this paper, a new unified approach is presented, based on the integration of a neural network and a genetic algorithm, for the modelling of unsaturated soils. In the proposed approach, a genetic algorithm was used to optimise the weights of the neural network. A three-layer sequential architecture was chosen for the neural network. The network had eight input neurons, five neurons in the hidden layer and three neurons in the output layer. The eight input neurons represented the initial gravimetric water content, initial dry density, degree of saturation, net mean stress with respect to pore-air pressure, axial strain, deviatoric stress, soil suction and volumetric strain, and the three neurons in the output layer represented the deviatoric stress, suction and volumetric strain at the end of each increment. The network was trained and tested using a database that included results from a comprehensive set of triaxial tests on unsaturated soils from the literature. The predictions of the proposed model were compared with the experimental results. The comparison of the results indicates that the proposed approach was accurate and robust in representing the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils.     

Effect of degree of saturation on mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils and its elastoplastic simulation

The two stress-state variable approach has been widely used in interpreting unsaturated soil behaviour. However this approach cannot take into account the effect of degree of saturation or water contents on the stress–strain behaviour and strength of unsaturated soils. The triaxial test results presented in this paper show that even if the same path of net stress and suction is followed, the stress–strain relation and strength are different due to different degrees of saturation. When other conditions are the same, the higher the degree of saturation for the soil sample is, the higher the stress ratio corresponding to a given axial strain will be. This effect can be modeled by using an elasto-plastic constitutive model coupling hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils. Comparisons between the predicted and measured results are presented, which demonstrate that the model can quantitatively simulate the influence of the degree of saturation on stress–strain behaviour and strength of unsaturated soils.     

非饱和土水-力本构模型及其隐式积分算法

在已有工作基础上建立了水力-力学耦合的非饱和土本构模型,在硬化方程中考虑饱和度的影响,同时在土水特征曲线中考虑了塑性体变的影响,从而使模型可以反映非饱和土中的毛细现象与土中弹塑性变形现象的耦合行为。采用隐式积分方法,建立了非饱和土耦合模型的数值模型,并推导了得到了水力-力学耦合的非饱和土的一致切线模量。利用该算法编制了本构模型计算的子程序,使其能向外输出切线刚度矩阵,用于有限元计算。为了验证该算法和程序的正确性,用所编制程序对不同路径下的土体行为进行了预测。通过预测结果与试验结果相对比,表明程序预测结果与试验数据相吻合,模型可以较好地模拟土体的水力-力学耦合行为特性。     

Sensitive bounding surface constitutive model for structured clay

The main purpose of the paper is to present a relatively simple, yet realistic, constitutive model for simulations of structured sensitive clays. The proposed constitutive model can simulate 1‐D and isotropic consolidation, and drained and undrained shear response of sensitive structured clay. The proposed sensitive bounding surface model is based on concepts from the modified Cam clay model 8 and bounding surface plasticity 27 , with the addition of a simple degradation law. The key material parameters are M, λ, κ, and ν from the modified Cam clay framework, h from the bounding surface framework to model a smoothed elasto‐plastic transition, and ω_v, ω_q, and S_sr to model softening associated with destructuration. The model has separate parameters to model destructuration caused by volumetric strain and deviatoric strain. The model is capable of modeling unusual behavior of strain softening during 1‐D compression (i.e., a reduction of effective stress as void ratio decreases). A good match between test results and the model simulation is demonstrated. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.