Skip to main content
Log in

An Elastoplastic Constitutive Model for Unsaturated Soils Using the Suction Stress Variable

  • Published:
Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering Aims and scope

Based on the principle of effective stress of unsaturated soil expressed by intergranular suction stress combined with experimental data, the critical state lines under different matric suctions are unified into a single straight line. Based on this result, a new unsaturated soil dilatancy equation is proposed. First, combined with orthogonal conditions, the average effective stress and generalized shear stress are used as stress parameters to obtain the plastic potential function. Second, an incremental elastoplastic constitutive model is derived by using the yield surface of the modified Cam-Clay model and non-associated flow rule; the new constitutive model reduces to the modified Cam-Clay model for saturated soil. Stress–strain curves calculated by the model are compared with experimental results for different stress paths. The results of the comparison show that the elastoplastic constitutive model established in this work can accurately predict the stress–strain relationship of unsaturated soils.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. K. H. Roscoe, A. N. Schofield, and A. Thurairajah, “Yielding of clays in state wetter than critical,” Geotechnique, 13, 211–240 (1963).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. K. H. Roscoe and J. B. Burland, “On the generalized stress-strain behaviour of an ideal wet clay [A], In: J. Heyman, F. A. Leckie, Engineering Plasticity, Cam-Clay University Press, 535–609 (1968).

  3. E. E. Alonso, A. Gens, and A. A. Josa, “Constitutive model for partially saturated soils,” Geotechnique, 40(3), 405–430 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. D. G. Toll, “A framework for unsaturated soil behavior,” Geotechnique, 40(1), 31–44 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. S. J. Wheeler and V. Sivakumar, “An elasto-plastic critical state framework for unsaturated soil,” Geotechnique, 45(1), 35–53 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. A. Gens, “Constitutive modelling: application to compacted soil,” Proceedings of the I International Conference on Unsaturated Soils, 11, 79–1200 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  7. D. A. Sun, D. C. Sheng, and S. W. Sloan, “Elastoplastic modelling of hydraulic and stress-strain behaviour of unsaturated compacted soils,” J. Mech. Mater., 39(3), 212–221 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. D. C. Sheng, D. G. Fredlund, and A. Gens, “A new modelling approach for unsaturated soils using independent stress variables,” J. Can. Geotech. J., 45(4), 511–534 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. A. W. Bishop, “The effective stress principle,” J. Teknisk Ukeblad., 39, 859–863 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  10. D. G. Fredlund and N. R. Morgenstern, “Stress state variables for unsaturated soils,” J. Geotech. Geoenviron., 103(5), 447–466 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  11. N. Lu, “Is matric suction stress variable?” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 134(7), 899–905 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. N. Lu and W. J. Likos, “Suction stress characteristic curve for unsaturated soil,” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 132(2), 131–142 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. N. Lu, B. Wu, and C. P. Tan, “Tensile strength characteristics of unsaturated sands,” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 133(2), 144–154 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. N. Lu, T. H. Kim, and W. J. Likos, “Tensile strength of unsaturated sand,” J. Eng. Mech., 135(12), 1410–1419 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. N. Lu, J. W. Godt, and D. T. Wu, “A closed form equation for effective stress in unsaturated soil,” J. Water. Resour. Res., 46(5), 567–573 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. M. J. Jiang, S. Leroueil, and M. Konrad, “Insight into shear strength functions of unsaturated granulates by DEM analyses,” J. Comput. Geotech., 31(6), 473–489 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. A. M. Seboong Oh, “Experimental validation of suction stress characteristic curve from nonfailure triaxial k0 consolidation tests,” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 139, 1490–1503 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. C. L. Chen, D. F. Zhang, and Y. Z. Dong, “Suction and mechanical properties of unsaturated undisturbed loess under normal water content under triaxial conditions,” J. Chin. J. Geotech. Eng., 36(7), 1195–1202 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Y. W. Zhang, X. L. Weng, and Z. P. Song, “A modified Cam-Clay model considering structural and anisotropy of loess,” J. Rock Soil Mech., 3, 1030–1038 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  20. A. Uchaipichat and N. Khalili, “Experimental investigation of thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of an unsaturated silt,” Geotechnique, 59(4), 339–353 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. E. Q. Chowdhury and T. Nakai, “Consequences of the tij-concept and a new modeling approach,” J. Comput. Geotech., 23(3), 131–164 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. T. Nakai, “An isotropic hardening elastoplastic model for sand considering the stress path dependency in threedimensional stresses,” J. Soils. Found., 29, 119–137 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Y. Shi, L. Zhou, and X. W. Liu, “Study on the strength triaxial test of unsaturated red clay based on GDS,” Nanchang University, 37(4), 361–365 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  24. D. A. Sun, W. J. Sun, and L. Xiang, “Effect of degree of saturation on mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils and its elastoplastic simulation,” J. Comput. Geotech., 37(5), 678–688 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. X. Z. Liu, “Experimental analysis and micro theoretical study on the full suction range of soil-water characteristic curve,” Nanchang University, 24-41 (2018).

  26. Z. Q. Deng, J. S. Chen, and J. W. Wang, “Constitutive model and experimental study of uniform yield surface based on SFG model,” J. Rock Soil Mech., 41(2), 0000–0008 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fengxi Zhou.

Additional information

Translated from Osnovaniya, Fundamenty i Mekhanika Gruntov, No. 1, January-February, 2022.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhou, F., Shao, Y. & Ahmed, M.A.I. An Elastoplastic Constitutive Model for Unsaturated Soils Using the Suction Stress Variable. Soil Mech Found Eng 59, 23–31 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11204-022-09780-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11204-022-09780-0

Navigation