| Abstract: | For discrete materials like sands, the continuum field variables, stress and strain, are defined in terms of micro-level quantities by considering the deformation mechanism of granular soils from a microscopic point of view. Under the application of load, soil is considered to deform due to the movement relative to each other of clusters of particles. Based on this deformation mechanism, the kinematics of soils are developed and a strain tensor for granular soils, in terms of local displacements and geometric measures, is introduced. A local constitutive law relating local displacements and local tractions is defined. Using the local constitutive law, the relationships between stress and strain for the media are developed. The developed model incorporates the influence of strain hardening and material anisotropy on the deformation behaviour of the media. Comparisons of the model predictions and experimental results from tests conducted in cubical and hollow cylinder devices are presented. |
