Finite deformation analysis of liquefaction-induced flow failure in soil embankments

Summary A finite element formulation is proposed for finite deformation dynamic analysis of saturated soil systems. The formulation is based on an updated Lagrangian approach and specifically considers the finite deformation effects on the flow of water through a soil element which undergoes a large deformation or rotation. A two-surface plasticity model is used to model the stress-strain behaviour of the soil skeleton. The proposed formulation has been implemented and is applied to simulate the response of a centrifuge model embankment. The calculated response is in good agreement with the observed behaviour of the soil embankment in the centrifuge test.