Geo-E2010

Advanced Soil Mechanics L

Wojciech Sołowski

14 March 2018
Plasticity refresh
Theory of Plasticity - Summary

1. Elastic Strain dε ep  1 K ′ 0   dp ′ 

 e =    dq ′ 
d ε
 q  0 1 3G ′  

2. Yield surface
f ( p′, q, p0′ ) = 0

3. Plastic Potential g ( p′, q, ζ ) = 0

4. Flow rule ∂g ∂g
=d ε pp d=
λ ; d ε qp d λ
∂p′ ∂q
Theory of Plasticity - Summary

5. Hardening law p0′ = p0′ (ε pp , ε qp )

∂p0′ ∂p0′
dp0′ = d ε p
+ dε qp
∂ε p ∂ε q
p p p

6. Plastic deformations
 ∂f ∂g ∂f ∂g 
dε pp  −1  ∂p′ ∂p′ ∂q ∂p′   dp′
 p =  ∂f ∂g ∂f ∂g   dq 
dε
 q   ′ ′
∂f  ∂p0 ∂g ∂p0 ∂g     

∂ ′  ∂ε p ∂p′ + ∂ε p ∂q   ∂p′ ∂q ∂q ∂q 
 0  p
p q 
7. Total deformations
dε p   d ε ep   d ε pp 
= ε   e+ p
 d q   d ε q   d ε q 
Critical State Soil Mechanics
Critical state soil mechanics
To learn / refresh :
- what is critical state
- how soil behaves when over-consolidated / dense and when
normally consolidated / loose
- volumetric behaviour of soil
- oedometer, drained triaxial tests
- semi logarithmic scale…
- how we can approximate the elastic behaviour of soil in the
semi-logarithmic plot (p’ – specific volume)
- how we can approximate the elasto-plastic behaviour of soil in
the semi-logarithmic plot (p’ – specific volume)

Department of Civil Engineering

Advanced Soil Mechanics. W. Sołowski
6
 Plastic Behaviour of Soils

Mohr-Coulomb in Principal Stress Space

σ’3 σ’1=σ’2= σ’3

σ’2

. / Mohr – Coulomb failure

σ’1 surface is a irregular
hexagon in the principal
stress space
 Salient Features and Drawbacks of MC Model

. / It is assumed that the material behaves elastically until the

failure surface is reached.

. / In reality, plastic deformation begins well before the

failure conditions are met.

p'
H
+

G
E

D
B

p0 A C F
εv
Oedometer / consolidation

ν = ν1 − κ ⋅ ln p′

(c) Muir Wood

 Drucker et al. (1957) model

. / Drucker et al. (1957) proposed the introduction of a yield surface bounded

by a “cap” which is allowed to expand and increase in size with increasing
stress level.

. / The behaviour of the soil is purely elastic only inside the failure surface
and the cap. σ3

. / If the stress increase is

directed outwards the cap,
plastic deformations are
generated and the cap
expands.
σ2

σ1
 Cam clay models

In Cambridge University, several researchers tried to improve

the Drucker model to describe the behaviour of reconstituted
Kaolin clay, on which a large library of axisymmetric tests was
available for normally consolidated and overconsolidated
specimens.
In particular, Schofield and Wroth proposed the model which
goes by the name (Original) Cam Clay model

A real revolution in the soil modelling field.

Soon afterwards Burland (1967) & Roscoe & Burland
(1968) presented the:
Modified Cam Clay model
which we will discuss in detail
 Formulation of Modified Cam Clay model

I n t he stress space, a yield function f is defined so that the soil

behaviour is elastic when f < 0.

The surface described by f is the so-called yield locus and is formulated in

function of the stress tensor and scalar values called hardening
parameters.
These scalar values are related to the size of the yield surface in the
stress space, as it will be clarified.
Moreover, inside the yield locus the soil behaviour is described by the
exponential law:

ν = ν1 − κ ⋅ ln p′
where ν is the specific volume, expressed in terms of void ratio by:
κ is the slope of the recompression
ν ≡ 1+ e line in ν-lnp' plane
Formulation of Modified Cam Clay model:
elasticity

ν = ν1 − κ ⋅ ln p′

(c) Muir Wood

 Formulation of Modified Cam Clay model:
elasticity

ν ≡ 1+ e

ν = ν1 − κ ⋅ ln p′

(c) Muir Wood

Void ratio and volumetric de dν
dε v = − =−
strains are correlated by: 1+ e ν

κ is the slope of the unloading – reloading (url) line in ν-lnp' plane

Other elastic parameter : Poisson ratio or shear modulus G
Clay behaviour

Mitchell & Soga 2005

Department of Civil Engineering

Advanced Soil Mechanics . W. Sołowski
15
Clay behaviour

Glacial till

Mitchell & Soga 2005 Department of Civil Engineering

Advanced Soil Mechanics . W. Sołowski
16
 Modified Cam Clay – volumetric
behaviour

Starting point of Cam-Clay theory:

Logarithmic isotropic compression and unloading

pc ln p’
Primary loading:

e − e0 = λ ln p
pc 1
v=1+e λ
Unloading / reloading:
κ iso-NCL
e − e0 = κ ln p 1
pc
Behaviour of clays under triaxial states
Isotropic Loading
 Modified Cam Clay

For other than isotropic stress paths from the origin

there is another (parallel) NCL

q
failure ln p’

K0 1
λ
iso-NCL
iso K0-NCL
p’ failure-NCL
Clay behaviour

Glacial till

Mitchell & Soga 2005 Department of Civil Engineering

Advanced Soil Mechanics . W. Sołowski
20
 Behaviour of clays under triaxial states
Shearing (drained)

Volumetric deformations during shearing (dilatancy):

• Initial elastic contraction

∆v
• Followed by an elastoplastic behaviour:
NC soils or slightly OC (OCR ≈ 1 to 4), a
volumetric contraction is observed
OC soils (OCR > 4), a volumetric ε1
expansion is observed
Clay behaviour

Glacial till

Mitchell & Soga 2005 Department of Civil Engineering

Advanced Soil Mechanics . W. Sołowski
22
 Behaviour of clays under triaxial states
Shearing (undrained)

Pore pressure during shearing :

• Initial elastic (positive) change of pore water pressure

pw
• Followed by elastoplastic changes: NC or slightly SC

NC soils or slightly SC (OCR ≈ 1 to 4), positive

changes of the pore water pressure are observed

ε1
OC soils (OCR > 4), negative changes of
the pore water pressure are observed
hightly OC
Clay behaviour

Glacial till

Mitchell & Soga 2005 Department of Civil Engineering

Advanced Soil Mechanics . W. Sołowski
24
Behaviour of clays under triaxial states
Stage II: Shearing

The final values of the void ratio,

at constant volume, show a
unique line parallel to the virgin
compression line:

v = Γ − λ ln p′ ln p’
 Behaviour of clays under triaxial states
Shearing (drained)

Linear relationship between q and

p’ on the critical states:

M
q = Mp′
and M is constant
p’
Mechanical behaviour of clays under triaxial states
Shearing (drained)
 Behaviour of clays under triaxial states

Stress paths with σ3′ σ1′ = KC =const.

q
In particular, the oedometric
test corresponds to

ε H = 0 → KC = K 0
Notation:

σ 3′ when lateral
K0 =
σ1′
deformation is zero
p’
 Stress paths with σ3′ σ1′ = KC =const.

q
K0 The relationship of (virgin)
volumetric compression:

dv = −λ dp′
p′
p, p’
And, hence, NC lines are
v Isotropic virgin
parallel to isotropic virgin
compression line
compression line and critical
state line

Yield surface expands as a

function of plastic deformations

K0 ln p’
Modified Cam Clay - plasticity
The shape of the yield function is an ellipse, symmetrical with respect to
the p’ axis.
The equation of the yield function is: f = q 2 − M 2 p ′( p 0′ − p ′)

q
M – slope of the critical
state line (CSL)

p0 /2 p0 p'
Thank you