Elastic-Viscoplastic Model for Clays: Development, Validation, and Application

TL;DR

This paper introduces an elastic-viscoplastic model for isotropic clays that incorporates creep effects, validated through laboratory tests and applied in finite element analysis for long-term geotechnical predictions.

Contribution

It develops a novel EVP model based on bounding surface theory with creep effects, validated with multiple clay types, and implemented in FE for real-world long-term prediction.

Findings

Model accurately captures creep, relaxation, and strain-rate effects.

Parameters can be derived from standard laboratory tests.

Successfully applied to predict long-term embankment settlement.

Abstract

This paper presents an elastic-viscoplastic (EVP) constitutive model in triaxial space and general stress space for isotropic clays. The EVP model is anchored in the bounding surface theory along with the mapping rule and adopts a critical state soil mechanics framework. It incorporates creep effects, and a non-linear creep function is used in the model. The EVP deformation of clay is integrated considering a reference surface and loading surface. An image parameter is deduced to establish the image surface. The strain rate tensor of the model comprises elastic-strain-rate tensor and viscoplastic-strain-rate tensor. The model formulation is capable of accounting for composite as well as single surface ellipses. Parameters of the model can be extracted from conventional oedometer and triaxial tests. The model performance is validated by capturing the behaviours in creep test, relaxation test, strain-rate effect test, and over consolidation ratio effect test of Kaolin clay, Hong Kong Marine Deposit clay, and Fukakusa clay. The model is also implemented in a Finite Element (FE) code and used to predict the long-term performance of the Nerang Broadbeach Roadway embankment constructed in Australia. The long-term settlement prediction of this embankment is also compared with that obtained with the Modified Cam Clay (MCC) model. Pertinent details of the theoretical framework of the proposed EVP model along with its validation, FE implementation and field application are discussed in this paper.