Development of a new advanced elastoplastic constitutive model that considers soil behavior at small strains. The EPHYSS model

Abstract

AbstractThe Elastoplastic Hysteretic Small Strain (EPHYSS) model is an advanced elastoplastic model as a result from the combination of the Hysteretic Quasi‐Hypoelastic (HQH) model that considers strain‐induced anisotropy and can reproduce the nonlinear reversible, hysteretic and dependent on recent history soil behavior, and the Cap‐Cone Hardening Soil Modified (HSMOD) model that can reproduce soil plastic behavior. EPHYSS model uses state variables that define different short and long‐term memory levels which provide it with robustness for the reproduction of soil hysteretic behavior and confers it a great versatility and adaptability to experimental results. It also corrects some inconsistencies of the Hardening Soil with Small Strain Stiffness (HS‐SS) model of Plaxis whose effects can have a considerable influence on the numerical simulations of boundary problems. The performance of EPHYSS and a comparison with the HS‐SS model is presented in some experimental and numerical tests, and in a boundary value problem of a large excavation in Barcelona.