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.     

Formulation of a three‐dimensional rate‐dependent constitutive model for chalk and porous rocks

Rate‐dependent behaviour of chalk and other porous rocks has undergone widespread study in geomechanics due to its implications on the performance of engineering structures. We present a rate‐dependent constitutive model for chalk and other porous rocks with several new features. The model formulation is based on a viscoplastic rate‐lines approach in which the axial strain rate depends on the proximity of the stress point to an elliptical reference surface. A non‐associated viscoplastic potential surface and an axial scaling algorithm are used to determine the viscoplastic strain components. The model predicts that axial yields stress varies as a power function of applied axial strain rate, as shown by published laboratory data. Comparisons with published experimental data indicate that the model is capable of reproducing observed rate‐dependent behaviour of chalk under a variety of loading conditions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New Viscoplastic Model for Design Analysis of Tunnels in Squeezing Conditions

Summary  This paper is intended to describe the SHELVIP (Stress Hardening ELastic VIscous Plastic) model, a new viscoplastic constitutive law which has been developed to incorporate the most important features of behaviour observed in tunnels excavated in severe to very severe squeezing conditions. This model couples the elastoplastic and time-dependent behaviour by using a plastic yield surface, as frequently adopted in tunnel design analysis, and the definition of a state of overstress referred to a viscoplastic yield surface. The model is formulated in all its detailed aspects. The related analytical closed-form solution for representing triaxial creep deformations is developed. Also developed is an incremental numerical solution for describing the triaxial stress–strain behaviour under constant strain rate conditions. The model is shown to fit very satisfactorily the results of creep tests on clay shales and relaxation tests on coal specimens, as recently performed for design analysis of tunnels in squeezing conditions. Correspondence: D. Debernardi, Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy     

A viscoplastic model including anisotropic damage for the time dependent behaviour of rock

This paper presents a new constitutive model for the time dependent mechanical behaviour of rock which takes into account both viscoplastic behaviour and evolution of damage with respect to time. This model is built by associating a viscoplastic constitutive law to the damage theory. The main characteristics of this model are the account of a viscoplastic volumetric strain (i.e. contractancy and dilatancy) as well as the anisotropy of damage. The latter is described by a second rank tensor. Using this model, it is possible to predict delayed rupture by determining time to failure, in creep tests for example. The identification of the model parameters is based on experiments such as creep tests, relaxation tests and quasi‐static tests. The physical meaning of these parameters is discussed and comparisons with lab tests are presented. The ability of the model to reproduce the delayed failure observed in tertiary creep is demonstrated as well as the sensitivity of the mechanical response to the rate of loading. The model could be used to simulate the evolution of the excavated damage zone around underground openings. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Damage–viscoplastic consistency model with a parabolic cap for rocks with brittle and ductile behavior under low‐velocity impact loading

This paper presents a damage–viscoplastic cap model for rocks with brittle and ductile behavior under low‐velocity impact loading, which occurs, e.g. in percussive drilling. The model is based on a combination of the recent viscoplastic consistency model by Wang and the isotropic damage concept. This approach does not suffer from ill posedness—caused by strain softening—of the underlying boundary/initial‐value problem since viscoplasticity provides a regularization under dynamic loading by introducing an internal length scale. The model uses the Drucker–Prager (DP) yield function with the modified Rankine criterion as a tension cut‐off and a parabolic cap surface as a compression cut‐off. The parabolic cap is smoothly fitted to the DP cone. The strain softening law in compression is calibrated with the degradation index concept of Fang and Harrison. Thereby, the model is able to capture the brittle‐to‐ductile transition and hardening behavior of geomaterials under highly confined compression, which is the prevailing stress state under a bit‐button in percussive drilling. Rock strength heterogeneity is characterized statistically at the structural level using the Weibull distribution. An explicit time integrator is chosen for solving the FE‐discretized equations of motion. The contact constraints due to the impact of an indenter are imposed with the forward increment Lagrange multiplier method that is compatible with explicit time integrators. The model is tested at the material point level with various uniaxial and triaxial tests. At the structural level confined compression, uniaxial tension tests and a rock sample under low‐velocity impact are simulated. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于上下负荷面的弹黏塑性本构模型及应力积分算法实现

为了描述天然软土的时间相依以及结构性特征,提出了一种能考虑土体超固结和结构性的实用弹黏塑性本构模型。它以Asaoka和Hashiguchi的上下负荷面作为某一应变速率下的参考屈服面,按照相对过应力的基本思路,新引入了两个能通过不同应变速率三轴压缩试验测定的率敏性参数 和 ,建立了以当前应力、黏塑性应变以及黏塑性应变速率为状态变量的动屈服准则函数,并给出了基于Newton-Raphson迭代的应力积分算法,且成功地将其嵌入到大型有限元软件ABAQUS中。最终通过数值算例来验证模型的正确性以及应力积分算法的可靠性。结果表明：该模型能同时描述土体的率敏性、蠕变以及结构性特征,模型参数物理意义明确、易懂可测,预测结果与试验数据吻合良好,可用于复杂边值问题的有限元计算。     

各向异性弹黏塑性模型在ABAQUS中的研发

通过将Perzyna过应力理论与临界状态理论相结合,并引入Wheeler旋转硬化法则,提出一个能描述土体初始各向异性及应力诱发各向异性的三维弹黏塑性本构模型。模型考虑流变发生的下限,在三维应力空间,模型存在形状相似的静屈服面及动态加载面。采用缩放形式的幂函数。本构模型数值算法采用回映算法,借助ABAQUS软件UMAT子程序接口实现。并通过对三轴不排水蠕变试验的模拟,确定合适的积分步长。此后,分别对三轴不排水蠕变试验及常应变率三轴不排水剪切试验进行了模拟。模拟中通过设置不同参数值,可将模型退化为各向同性模型,并对这两种模拟结果进行了比较。模拟结果表明：(1) 对于三轴不排水蠕变,在低剪应力水平下,各向同性模型和各向异性模型模拟的结果相差不大,而在高剪应力水平下,各向异性模型模拟结果更接近试验结果;(2) 对于常应变率加载试验的模拟,模型合理反映了土体不排水强度随着加载速率的增大而增大现象。     

A bounding surface elasto‐viscoplastic constitutive model for non‐isothermal cyclic analysis of asphaltic materials

An elasto‐viscoplastic constitutive model for asphaltic materials is presented within the context of bounding surface plasticity theory, taking into account the effects of the stress state, void binder degree of saturation, temperature and strain rate on the material behaviour. A stress state dependent non‐linear elasticity model is introduced to represent time‐independent recoverable portion of the deformation. The consistent visco‐plasticity framework is utilised to capture the rate‐dependent, non‐recoverable strain components. The material parameters introduced in the model are identified, and their determination from conventional laboratory tests is discussed. The capability of the model to reproduce experimentally observed response of asphaltic materials is demonstrated through numerical simulations of several laboratory test data from the literature. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nonstationary flow surface theory for modeling the viscoplastic behaviors of soils

This paper presents a three-dimensional elastic viscoplastic model that can describe the time-dependent behaviors of soft clays. The constitutive model is formulated based on the nonstationary flow surface theory and incorporates new developments, including (i) an improved definition of the nonstationary flow surface that is capable of capturing the stress–strain behaviors under different loading paths, (ii) a unique stress–strain—viscoplastic-strain-rate equation that is able to explicitly describe the nonstationary flow surface, and (iii) a final stable state concept that identifies the final equilibrium state at the end of creep and stress relaxation, which is also used to simplify the loading criteria. The consistency condition is validated for the proposed model, and the viscoplastic multipliers are calculated by solving the consistency equations. The model performance is investigated and validated via simulation of both oedometer and triaxial tests. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed model is able to reproduce the main viscoplastic behaviors of soils, including creep, undrained creep rupture, stress relaxation, rate effect and accumulated effect.     

Liquefaction Analysis Using Viscoplastic Kinematic Hardening Constitutive Model

The dynamic response analysis combined with the generalized return-mapping algorithm is applied to the integration algorithms of viscoplastic constitutive relations including the effect of the shear band. The kinematic hardening model based on modified and extended soil model with isotropic strain-hardening–softening is employed. In this paper, the TESRA (temporary effect of strain rate and acceleration) model is employed for the nonlinear viscosity of sand. The constitutive equations of rate-dependent plasticity originally proposed by Duvaut–Lions are employed as the base of the solutions. Liquefaction of a buried pipe is analyzed by finite element method by employing the above mentioned constitutive relations and the calculated results are compared with experimental results. The dynamic response analysis is applied to the solutions of the problems. The kinematic hardening–softening viscoplastic constitutive relations for geomaterials are promising for the predictions of cumulative deformations and liquefaction of the buried pipe. A great deal of experimental results indicate that the stress is a unique function of irreversible strain and its rate.     

一个描述软黏土时效特性的一维弹黏塑性模型

为了描述软黏土一维应力-应变关系的时效特性,基于Bjerrum的等时间线体系,提出等黏塑性应变率线概念,推导了黏塑性应变率与黏塑性应变增量的关系,建立了软黏土的一维弹黏塑性模型;从理论上分析了新建模型与3种典型的一维弹黏塑性时效本构模型的内在联系,表明新建模型与其他3种模型在本质上是等效的,且形式更简洁,物理意义更明确;利用新建模型对软黏土的固结-蠕变耦合效应、应变率效应、应力松弛效应等时效特性进行了理论分析,并得到了相应的解析解;结合宁波软黏土的一维固结试验,阐述了模型参数的确定方法,并用新建模型对宁波软黏土的固结-蠕变试验、温州软黏土的一维多级等应变率试验、香港海相软黏土的一维应力松弛试验进行模拟,验证了新建模型的有效性。研究结果表明,新建模型能很好地模拟软黏土的一维时效特性。     

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.     

A viscoplastic subloading soil model for rate‐dependent cyclic anisotropic structured behaviour

This paper presents a new purely viscoplastic soil model based on the subloading surface concept with a mobile centre of homothety, enabling the occurrence of viscoplastic strains inside the yield surface and avoiding the abrupt change in stiffness of the traditional overstress viscoplastic models. This is required for overconsolidated soils. The model is formulated to reproduce the soil rate‐dependent behaviour under cyclic loading (changes in loading direction) and incorporates both initial and induced anisotropy, as well as destructuring. The model shows good qualitative response to some imposed three‐dimensional stress paths under quasi‐inviscid (elastoplastic) behaviour. Some of the main time‐dependent aspects of soil behaviour that the model is capable of reproducing were also illustrated. The capability of the model to adequately reproduce the results from an undrained triaxial test performed on stiff overconsolidated clays from the Lisbon region (Formação de Benfica), with an unloading–reloading deviatoric stress cycle at constant mean stress, that incorporates a series of staggered fast loading and creep stages, was evaluated. The model was able to reproduce well the main observed aspects of the time‐dependent stress–strain response and pore pressure evolution of a stiff overconsolidated clay under complex loading. The revised and generalised viscoplastic subloading surface concept is viable and can be applied to a consistent extension to viscoplasticity, including in the interior of the yield surface, of existing elastoplastic models formulated for soils and other materials. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finite deformation analysis of geomaterials

The mathematical structure and numerical analysis of classical small deformation elasto–plasticity is generally well established. However, development of large deformation elastic–plastic numerical formulation for dilatant, pressure sensitive material models is still a research area. In this paper we present development of the finite element formulation and implementation for large deformation, elastic–plastic analysis of geomaterials. Our developments are based on the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into elastic and plastic parts. A consistent linearization of the right deformation tensor together with the Newton method at the constitutive and global levels leads toward an efficient and robust numerical algorithm. The presented numerical formulation is capable of accurately modelling dilatant, pressure sensitive isotropic and anisotropic geomaterials subjected to large deformations. In particular, the formulation is capable of simulating the behaviour of geomaterials in which eigentriads of stress and strain do not coincide during the loading process. The algorithm is tested in conjunction with the novel hyperelasto–plastic model termed the B material model, which is a single surface (single yield surface, affine single ultimate surface and affine single potential surface) model for dilatant, pressure sensitive, hardening and softening geomaterials. It is specifically developed to model large deformation hyperelasto–plastic problems in geomechanics. We present an application of this formulation to numerical analysis of low confinement tests on cohesionless granular soil specimens recently performed in a SPACEHAB module aboard the Space Shuttle during the STS‐89 mission. We compare numerical modelling with test results and show the significance of added confinement by the thin hyperelastic latex membrane undergoing large stretching. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Computational simulation of time-dependent behavior of soil–structure interaction by using a novel creep model: Application to a geosynthetic-reinforced soil physical model

In this paper, a model geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining walls (GRS-RW) is tested by vertically loading it through a rough footing on the top near the retaining wall and the results are simulated by a sophisticated nonlinear Finite Element Method (FEM) having a novel rate dependent constitutive model for both the backfill material and the geosynthetic reinforcement. Usually, polymer geosynthetic reinforcement is known to exhibit more-or-less rate-dependent stress–strain or load–strain behavior due to their viscous properties. The geomaterials (i.e., clay, sand, gravel and soft rock) also exhibit viscous properties. The viscous behavior of geometrials are quite different from that of the polymer based geosynthetic-reinforcements. It has been revealed recently that viscous behavior of sand is a kind of temporary effect, which vanishes with time. So the rate-dependent deformation of backfill reinforced with polymer geosynthetic reinforcement becomes highly complicated due to interactions between the elasto-viscoplastic properties of backfill and reinforcement. In the present study, a scaled model geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining wall is tested with a vertically loaded rough rigid footing. The results of the model test are simulated by using an appropriate elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model of both sand and geogrid embedded in a nonlinear plane strain FEM.     

A constitutive model for bonded geomaterials subject to mechanical and/or chemical degradation

The mechanical behaviour of bonded geomaterials is described by means of an elastoplastic strain‐hardening model. The internal variables, taking into account the ‘history’ of the material, depend on the plastic strains experienced and on a conveniently defined scalar measure of damage induced by weathering and/or chemical degradation. For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that only internal variables are affected by mechanical and chemical history of the material. Despite this simplifying assumption, it can be shown that many interesting phenomena exhibited by weathered bonded geomaterials can be successfully described. For instance, (i) the transition from brittle to ductile behaviour with increasing pressure of a calcarenite with collapsing internal structure, (ii) the complex behaviour of chalk and other calcareous materials in oedometric tests, (iii) the chemically induced variation of the stress and strain state of such kind of materials, are all phenomena that can be qualitatively reproduced. Several comparisons with experimental data show that the model can capture the observed behaviour also quantitatively. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strain localization analysis by elasto-viscoplastic softening model for frozen sand

The aim of the present paper is to numerically analyse the behaviour of frozen sand by using a viscoplastic constitutive model with strain softening. A constitutive model has been developed introducing the stress history tensor which is a functional of the stress history, with respect to a generalized time measure. It is shown that Adachi and Oka's model is applicable to the results of triaxial tests on a frozen Toyoura sand at different strain rates. First, the instability of the model is discussed within the framework of bifurcation theory. The model is then implemented into a FEM code to numerically simulate the behaviour under plane strain conditions. From the numerical results, it is revealed that the formation of shear bands is possible and the characteristics of strain localization, such as shear banding, depend on the strain rates.