Finite-element modelling of the conservation effects of an artificial resin on deteriorated heterogeneous sandstone in building restoration

Besides experimental investigations related to the strengthening effects of resins to natural stone, there have been hardly any numerical simulations conducted to the effects of the conservation on the mechanical behaviour of conserved objects. In the present study a three-dimensional finite element code MASA was used to investigate the influence of the conservation procedure on the mechanical properties of the natural stone. The finite element code is based on the microplane material model. As a localization limiter the crack band method was used. A typical profile of sandstone resembling parts of a sculpture—with scaling, sandy decay and sound zones was discretized by solid finite elements. Varied were material properties, temperature distribution over the depth of the specimen, cyclic effects due to the temperature variation and geometry of the specimen. Numerical results show that as a consequence of change of material properties after conservation procedure the cracks can be generated under environmental conditions that are most likely possible in practice. This is especially true for extreme temperature gradients, for repeated temperature conditions (cyclic loading) and for complex geometries. The numerical results have been partly verified by experiments.     

Modelling the settlement behaviour of a strip footing on sloping sandy fill under cyclic loading conditions

This paper investigates the settlement behaviour of a strip footing seating on the crest of an embankment and subjected to cyclic loading. The embankment fill is a dense sand and the issue is the gradual accumulation of settlement over a large number of load repetitions. Cyclic triaxial tests were first conducted to develop a consistent but simple material model for numerical implementation. Particular emphasis was placed on linking the stress-strain behaviour of an unload-reload cycle to the accumulation of permanent strain, with only five input parameters required to model the cyclic behaviour. The material model was implemented in a numerical analysis to compute the settlement behaviour obtained from model tests conducted by another researcher. It is pertinent to highlight that the same soil, compacted to same density at same moisture content, was used for both the cyclic triaxial tests and model tests. Reasonable to good agreement between the experimental and numerical results was achieved.     

Numerical investigation of the stabilisation behaviour of shallow foundations under alternate loading

This article presents a stability criterion for shallow foundations on sand for various loading conditions. By means of laboratory model tests, a behaviour called self-healing is shown. Numerical simulations of these tests prove the suitability of the employed numerical model. Based on this validation, a numerical parametric study is done to analyse the influence of loading condition and initial state of the soil on the self-healing. Main focus is on the rotational behaviour and settlement of the foundation. The observations and numerical results are discussed and an explanation is presented based on results of cyclic laboratory tests.     

Analysis of liquefaction susceptibility of nearly saturated sands

A new constitutive formulation for simulating the behaviour of nearly saturated sands under seismic loads is presented. The formulation is based on combining the Henry's law for dissolution of gas in water, the ideal or perfect gas law and the law of conservation of mass. The effects of transient air dissolution in water on the compressibility of partially saturated soils are also taken into account. The model was calibrated based on numerical simulations of isotropically consolidated cyclic triaxial tests conducted on partially saturated samples of Toyoura sand. A multi‐yield plasticity soil constitutive model implemented in the finite element code DYNAFLOW was used for these numerical simulations. It is shown that the formulation proposed here is able to reasonably predict the soil cyclic undrained behaviour at various degrees of saturation (95% and higher). Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Non‐isothermal plasticity model for cyclic behaviour of soils

On the one hand, it has been observed that liquefaction‐induced shear deformation of soils accumulates in a cycle‐by‐cycle pattern. On the other hand, it is known that heating could induce plastic hardening. This study deals with the constitutive modelling of the effect that heat may have on the cyclic mechanical properties of cohesive soils, a relatively new area of interest in soil mechanics. In this paper, after a presentation of the thermo‐mechanical framework, a non‐isothermal plasticity cyclic model formulation is presented and discussed. The model calibration is described based on data from laboratory sample tests. It includes numerical simulations of triaxial shear tests at various constant temperatures. Then, the model predictions are compared with experimental results and discussed in the final section. Both drained and undrained loading conditions are considered. The proposed constitutive model shows good ability to capture the characteristic features of behaviour. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A unified plasticity model for large post-liquefaction shear deformation of sand

Based on previous experimental findings and theoretical developments, this paper presents the formulation and numerical algorithms of a novel constitutive model for sand with special considerations for cyclic behaviour and accumulation of large post-liquefaction shear deformation. Appropriate formulation for three volumetric strain components enables the model to accurately predict loading and load reversal behaviour of sand, fully capturing the features of cyclic mobility. Compliance with the volumetric compatibility condition, along with reversible and irreversible dilatancy, allows for physically based simulation of the generation and accumulation of shear strain at zero effective stress after initial liquefaction. A state parameter was incorporated for compatibility with critical state soil mechanics, enabling the unified simulation of sand at various densities and confining pressures with a same set of parameters. The determination methods for the 14 model parameters are outlined in the paper. The model was implemented into the open source finite-element framework OpenSees using a cutting-plane stress integration scheme with substepping. The potentials of the model and its numerical implementation were explored via simulations of classical drained and undrained triaxial experiments, undrained cyclic torsional experiments, and a dynamic centrifuge experiment on a single pile in liquefiable soil. The results showed the model’s great capabilities in simulating small to large deformation in the pre- to post-liquefaction regime of sand.     

Liquefaction and cyclic mobility model for saturated granular media

A new constitutive law for the behaviour of undrained sand subjected to dynamic loading is presented. The proposed model works for small and large strain ranges and incorporates contractive and dilative properties of the sand into the unified numerical scheme. These features allow to correctly predict liquefaction and cyclic mobility phenomena for different initial relative densities of the soil. The model has been calibrated as an element test, by using cyclic simple shear data reported in the literature. For the contractive sand behaviour a well‐known endochronic densification model has been used, whereas a plastic model with a new non‐associative flow rule is applied when the sand tends to dilate. Both dilatancy and flow rule are based on a new state parameter, associated to the stiffness degradation of the material as the shaking goes on. Also, the function that represents the rearrangement memory of the soil takes a zero value when the material dilates, in order to easily model the change in the internal structure. Proceeding along this kind of approach, liquefaction and cyclic mobility are modelled with the same constitutive law, within the framework of a bi‐dimensional FEM coupled algorithm developed in the paper. For calibration purposes, the behaviour of the soil in a cyclic simple shear test has been simulated, in order to estimate the influence of permeability, frequency of loading, and homogeneity of the shear stress field on the laboratory data. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mathematical modelling of monotonic and cyclic undrained clay behaviour

The proposed general analytical model describes the anisotropic, elasto-plastic, path-dependent, stress-strain-strength properties of inviscid saturated clays under undrained loading conditions. The model combines properties of isotropic and kinematic plasticity by introducing the concept of a field of plastic moduli which is defined in stress space by the relative configuration of yield surfaces. For any loading (or unloading) history, the instantaneous configuration is determined by calculating the translation and contraction (or expansion) of each yield surface. The stress-strain behaviour of clays can thus be determined for complex loading paths and in particular for cyclic loadings. The stress-strain relationships are provided for use in finite element analyses. The model parameters required to characterize the behaviour of any given clay can be derived entirely from conventional triaxial or simple shear soil test results. The model's extreme versatility is demonstrated by using it to formulate the behaviour of the Drammen clay under both monotonic and cyclic loading conditions. The parameters are determined by using solely the results from monotonic and cyclic strain-controlled simple shear experimental tests, and the model's accuracy is evaluated by applying it to predict the results of other tests such as (1) cyclic stress-controlled simple shear tests, (2) monotonic triaxial loading compression and unloading extension tests, and (3) cyclic stress- and strain-controlled triaxial tests on, this same clay. The theoretical predictions are found to agree extremely well with the experimental test results.     

A semi‐empirical method for the liquefaction analysis of offshore foundations

This paper presents a relatively simple method for three‐dimensional liquefaction analysis of granular soil under offshore foundations. In this method, the Mohr–Coulomb model, which defines the elasto–plastic stress–strain relationship under monotonic loading, is modified to accommodate the plastic strains generated by cyclic loading. The effects of cyclic loading, evaluated from the results of laboratory tests on saturated samples of soil, are incorporated into the model. The method is implemented in an efficient finite element program for analyses of three‐dimensional consolidating soil. The practicability of the model is demonstrated by analysis of a typical offshore foundation, and the predictions of the numerical analysis are compared with the observed behaviour of the foundation. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

FE-modeling of shear resistance degradation in granular materials during cyclic shearing under CNS condition

The behaviour of dry and cohesionless granular material during quasi-static cyclic shearing under a constant normal stiffness (CNS) condition is theoretically studied. A particular attention is laid to the volumetric strain change and the degradation of the shear resistance in the course of shearing. Numerical calculations are carried out for several shear cycles under boundary conditions which are relevant to investigate the shear interface behaviour. The global and local evolution of deformation, stress and density within the granular material is investigated with a finite element method on the basis of a hypoplastic constitutive model extended by micro-polar quantities: rotations, curvatures and couple stresses. A mean grain diameter is used as a characteristic length of micro-structure. The constitutive equations for stresses and couple stresses take also into account the effect of the evolution of the void ratio, pressure dependent relative density, direction of rate of deformation and rate of curvature. The numerical results are qualitatively compared with corresponding laboratory tests on direct wall shearing performed by DeJong, Randloph and White. In addition, the results for cyclic shearing of an infinite granular layer between two very rough boundaries under CNS conditions are also enclosed and discussed.     

Numerical analysis of soilbags under compression and cyclic shear

This paper presents a finite element model for analysing the behaviour of granular material wrapped with polyethylene bags under vertical compression and cyclic shearing. The simple Mohr–Coulomb model is used to represent the soil behaviour. The polyethylene bag is represented by a linear-elastic–perfect-plastic model. The soil-bag interface is modelled with contact constraints. The main purpose of the numerical analysis is to validate the anticipated performance of soilbags under various loading conditions and hence the effectiveness of soilbags as a method of ground improvement.     

Calculation of cyclic response of laterally loaded piles

A numerical model based on discrete elements has been developed which calculates the cyclic response of laterally loaded foundation piles. The soil behaviour is modeled with the so-called HYGADE-element. This element models the gap formation around the pile, the degradation of the soil strength and the backsliding of the soil into the gap. The friction between the pile and the gap walls and the plastic soil behaviour at larger depths can also be taken into account.

Numerical verification of quasi-static and cyclic experiments confirm the validity of the model.

The resulting program is of interest to designers of foundations and researchers on structure-foundation interaction.     

A unified thermoplastic/viscoplastic constitutive model for geomaterials

Research on the effect of temperature changes on the behaviour of geomaterials has become increasingly important in recent years. This growing interest is partially due to the recent development of high-level nuclear waste disposals. Because of the complex influence of temperature in these areas, it is necessary to understand the effects of temperature on rock-like materials and use the appropriate constitutive equations to numerically model these phenomena. In this paper, a thermoplastic/viscoplastic constitutive model is developed for this purpose. The model includes thermal softening, the evolution of the yield functions with temperature, and the effects of temperature on the time-dependent behaviour. The model performance is demonstrated by some simple test cases on Tournemire and Bure clayey rocks including triaxial compression tests and creep tests under constant temperatures. The numerical results are discussed using experimental data, which demonstrate that the model can reproduce the overall behaviour of this type of materials under deviatoric loads and non-isothermal conditions.     

Mechanics of a sandy subsoil subjected to cyclic loadings

A simple model for compaction of a sand, that may be useful in various geotechnical applications is presented. The model has been formulated in terms of the cyclic stress and strain amplitudes. The compaction properties of a dry sand are characterized by a common compaction curve described by two coefficients. The second aim of this paper is to show some applications of the theory proposed. The attention has been restricted to the two extreme cases of practical importance, namely to the behaviour of a dry sand (or a saturated sand but in free draining conditions), and to the behaviour of saturated sand in undrained conditions. Some numerical algorithms showing how to deal with those problems are presented and illustrated on the following examples: settlement and pore pressure generation in a soil stratum subjected to an earthquake, settlement of a foundation, pore pressure generation and liquefaction in a sea-bed. The results obtained suggest that the model proposed, as well as a method of dealing with boundary value problems can serve as a useful tool for the analysis of a sandy subsoil subjected to cyclic loadings.     

An elastoplastic constitutive model for cyclic behaviour of sands

The constitutive model of sands is proposed to describe the characteristics of plastic behaviour for cyclic loadings. A non-associated flow rule is used and both yield function and plastic potential are generalized forms of the Modified Cam clay model. The hardening parameter is represented by the plastic work related to different portions of volumetric and deviatoric changes. The boundary surface is employed to describe the plastic strain within the yield surface. The directional independency of yield condition in triaxial compression and extension tests is extended to that in general stress states. Several drained and undrained cyclic tests are predicted and the comparison is made with experimental results. The proposed model is capable of representing the monotonic and cyclic behaviours of sands with reasonable accuracy. The simulation is performed for both included and excluded membrane penetration effects and it is suggested that the membrane penetration causes the significant influences on the results of undrained cyclic tests.     

An AI-based model for describing cyclic characteristics of granular materials

Modelling cyclic behaviour of granular soils under both drained and undrained conditions with a good performance is still a challenge. This study presents a new way of modelling the cyclic behaviour of granular materials using deep learning. To capture the continuous cyclic behaviour in time dimension, the long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network is adopted, which is characterised by the prediction of sequential data, meaning that it provides a novel means of predicting the continuous behaviour of soils under various loading paths. Synthetic datasets of cyclic loading under drained and undrained conditions generated by an advanced soil constitutive model are first employed to explore an appropriate framework for the LSTM-based model. Then the LSTM-based model is used to estimate the cyclic behaviour of real sands, ie, the Toyoura sand under the undrained condition and the Fontainebleau sand under both undrained and drained conditions. The estimates are compared with actual experimental results, which indicates that the LSTM-based model can simultaneously simulate the cyclic behaviour of sand under both drained and undrained conditions, ie, (a) the cyclic mobility mechanism, the degradation of effective stress and large deformation under the undrained condition, and (b) shear strain accumulation and densification under the drained condition.     

Fractional order model for granular soils under drained cyclic loading

The theory of fractional calculus has been successfully applied to model the triaxial behaviour of soils under static loading conditions. However, limited work has been carried out in using the fractional calculus to describe the cyclic behaviour of granular soils. In this paper, a fractional order constitutive model for granular soils under drained cyclic loading is proposed by incorporating the concept of fractional rate for strain accumulation. The fractional rate for strain accumulation is obtained from the analysis of the experimental data by utilizing the fractional calculus. Comparison between the test results and model predictions is presented. The key feature of the proposed model is that it can reasonably characterise the cyclic deformation of granular soils under both low and high loading cycles. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于分数阶微积分的粗粒料静动力边界面本构模型

分数阶微分理论在土体静力黏弹性本构模型中得到了广泛应用,然而,其在动力弹塑性模型中的应用尚不多见。为此,基于分数阶微积分理论分析了粗粒料在循环荷载下的变形特性,提出了粗粒料在循环荷载下的分数阶应变率;并以此为基础,进一步建立了粗粒料受静动力荷载作用下的边界面塑性力学本构模型。所提出模型包含10个参数,均可以运用常规三轴试验获得。为了验证所提出模型,选取了几种已有不同文献中的不同粗粒料试验数据进行了模拟,发现,所提出的模型可以较好地模拟粗粒料在静动力加载下的应力-应变行为,对于循环荷载下的长期变形也能较好地预测。     

Finite element modelling of rate-dependent ratcheting in granular materials

The present paper introduces a comprehensive model that is capable of describing the behaviour, under cyclic loading, of the granular materials used in railway tracks and road pavement. Its main thrust is the introduction of the “Chicago” law in a continuum approach to account for the ratcheting effects. It also emphasizes rate-dependency as a dissipative mechanism that acts independently or jointly with the ratcheting effect as well as the non-associated plasticity. The numerical procedure is based on the return mapping algorithm, where Newton’s method is used to calculate the nonlinear consistency parameter of the flow rule and to obtain a consistent tangent modulus. The model was applied to specific numerical examples including multi-axial and cyclic loading conditions.