A 13-parameter model for unsaturated soil based on bounding surface plasticity

Abstract

A few constitutive models for unsaturated soils have already been proposed, however, many classic models such as the Barcelona basic model can simulate neither complex volumetric soil behaviour (without forgetting its supreme merit of being the first consistently and rigorously formulated model) nor post-peak softening, and most advanced models generally comprise a large number of parameters making them more difficult to be applied to practical situations. In this paper, we present a new model for unsaturated soils based on an existing model developed originally for saturated soils. It comprises a minimum number of constitutive parameters. The extension to unsaturated state is achieved by following a general methodology previously developed in our laboratory. The capacities of this simple model are tested. With only 13 parameters, it can reproduce the basic behaviour of unsaturated soils such as rebound or collapse upon wetting, depending on the stress levels. It can also reproduce post-peak softening and transition from contractant to dilatant volumetric behaviour during undrained shear. Overall, the first tentative of validation gives a good correlation between simulations and experimental data, and shows encouraging signs for future developments.