CE637A – Constitutive Modelling of Frictional Materials (2019-20 Sem-2)

Practice Question Set – 1

Topic: Basics of Solid Mechanics and Soil Elasticity

1. The stress tensor at a point is given by:

0 0 0
𝜎"# = %0 300 100√3*
0 100√3 100
Find
i. The magnitude of the normal and shear stresses on an area element whose
unit normal vector is given by 𝑛 = [0.5 0.5 1⁄√2]
ii. Determine the deviatoric stress invariants 𝐽3 , 𝐽5 .
iii. Octahedral stress and maximum shear stress.
2. Prove the following relation:
1
𝐽3 = 𝐼73 − 𝐼3
3
3. An initially unstressed and unstrained material element is subjected to a combined
loading history which produces the stress path (0,0) to (30, 10) ksi in (𝜎,𝜏) space. We
assume that the element is of a nonlinear elastic material with a function V given by
𝑉 = 𝑎𝐽3 + 𝑏𝐼7 𝐽3
Stress-strain relationship under uniaxial tension is
𝜎 𝜎 3
105 𝜀 = +? @
10 10
i. Determine the material constants a, b
ii. For the given stress path determine all the strain component at the end of
loading.
iii. Will there be any volumetric strain under pure shear condition for the given
material? Justify your answer.
iv. Draw the curve of constant V in (𝜎,𝜏) space passing through (30, 10).
demonstrate analytically that the curve V = const. is convex.
4. Starting from the given nonlinear elastic bulk modulus, develop a coupled nonlinear
elastic stiffness matrix in q-p’ space.
1+𝑒
𝐾= 𝑝′
𝜅𝑒
Also determine the stability condition of the matrix.
5. Consider a block of transversely isotropic material subjected to a compressive stress
𝜎7 = −𝑝 (perpendicular to the material direction) and constrained from moving in
the other two perpendicular directions (isotropy). Evaluate the stresses 𝜎7 and 𝜎3 in
terms of the engineering constants.
6. i. Develop the stiffness matrix in q-p space for a soil that follows the given Gibbs free
energy:
𝑝 𝑞3 𝑞I (2𝑞 − 𝑞I 𝑝𝑛)
𝑉 = −𝜅𝑝 Fln F J − 1J − O +
𝑝I 𝑝 𝑝 O
6𝑔𝑝N ?𝑝 @ 6𝑔𝑝N ?𝑝I @
I N
ii. Here 𝜅, 𝑔, 𝑛 are constant material parameters. 𝑝N is the reference pressure
conveniently taken as 1 kPa. Elastic strains are zero at the initial condition i.e., 𝑝 = 𝑝I
and 𝑞 = 𝑞I . Calibrate the material constants from the unloading response of the given
oedometer test (1D compression under zero radial strain):
iii. Develop a MATLAB code that computes the elastic stress-strain response and
stress path for the above model. Show the constant volume deformation stress
path in q-p space starting from isotropic compression at p = 50, 100, 200, and
300 kPa. [This code will be required for your future assignments]
iv. Using the above code show that the model conserves energy in a closed loop
stress path. However, it violets energy conservation if n = 1.