Constitutive modeling of dense gravelly soils subjected to cyclic loading

A constitutive model for dense gravelly soils was developed to reproduce their responses under cyclic loadings. Its application aims at nonlinear dynamic analyses of earth structures involving gravelly soils, such as rockfill dams and railroad ballasts. The framework of generalized plasticity was modified to incorporate the concept of stress distance for better simulation of unloading and reloading responses. It was then combined with the theory of critical state soil mechanics to develop the constitutive model. The model has the following important features: unified simulation of particle breakage through translating critical state line, smooth transition from unloading to reloading in the stress space, and proper modeling of cyclic hysteresis, cyclic densification, and cyclic hardening of dense gravelly soils. Most of the model parameters can be obtained through simple calculation using conventional triaxial test results, and their calibration process was discussed. The model was used to simulate the cyclic responses of three gravelly soils with satisfactory accuracy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.