Numerical modeling of unsaturated soil behavior considering different constitutive models

Numerical simulation of unsaturated soil behaviour

The mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils is one of the challenging topics in the field of geotechnical engineering. The use of finite element technique is considered as a promising method to solve settlement and heave problems, as associated with unsaturated soil. Nevertheless, the success of the numerical analysis is strongly dependent on constitutive model being used. The well-known Barc...

Thermodynamic Basis of Unsaturated Soil Modeling

Upon an increase of moisture, unsaturated soil may collapse or swell, depending on the loading state and history. This important characteristic must be realistically reproduced by a constitutive model aimed for practical applications. In addition to collapse/swelling, other essential features, such as deformation and failure following arbitrary shearing paths, must also be realistically reprodu...

Constitutive Modeling and Numerical Implications

Unsaturated soils: From constitutive modelling to numerical algorithms

This paper presents an overview of constitutive modelling of unsaturated soils and the numerical algorithms for solving the associated boundary value problems. It first discusses alternative stress and strain variables that can be used in constitutive models for unsaturated soils. The paper then discusses the key issues in unsaturated soil modelling and how these issues can be incorporated into...

A Constitutive Relationship for Gravelly Soil Considering Fine Particle Suffusion

Suffusion erosion may occur in sandy gravel dam foundations that use suspended cutoff walls. This erosion causes a loss of fine particles, degrades the soil strength and deformation moduli, and adversely impacts the cutoff walls of the dam foundation, as well as the overlying dam body. A comprehensive evaluation of these effects requires models that quantitatively describe the effects of fine p...