Adaptive finite element analysis of cone penetration in clay

This paper presents a numerical technique for the analysis of the cone penetration test by means of the commercial finite element code ABAQUS. The von Mises yield criterion with its associated flow rule is assumed to model the plastic behaviour of elastoplastic undrained clays. An explicit finite element scheme is used to efficiently perform a large number of loading increments and to simplify the treatment of contact. An Arbitrary Langrangian–Eulerian (ALE) scheme is adopted to preserve the quality of mesh throughout the numerical simulation. A volumetric weighting algorithm adjusts the relative positions of nodes after each loading increment. This prevents mesh over distortion and allows the simulation to run continuously. The variation of the cone resistance is examined in relation to various parameters such as the in situ stress state, shaft and cone face roughness, and the material strength when steady state conditions have been reached. The trends of these variations are highlighted and compared with those found by other researchers. This technique can be extended to analyse the plastic behaviour of elastoplastic sands often modelled using either the Drucker–Prager yield criterion or a critical state model.