Numerical simulation with hardening soil model parameters of marine clay obtained from conventional tests

Abstract

Over the last decades, numerical modelling has gained practical importance in geotechnical engineering as a valuable tool for predicting geotechnical problems. An accurate prediction of ground deformation is achieved if models that account for the pre-failure behaviour of soil are used. In this paper, laboratory results of the consolidated drain (CD) triaxial compression tests and one-dimensional consolidation tests of marine clay were used to determine the hardening soil model (HSM) parameter for use in Plaxis 3D analyses. The parameters investigated for the HSM were stiffness, strength and advanced parameters. The stiffness parameters were secant stiffness in CD triaxial compression test (E_{50}^{text{ref}}), tangent stiffness for primary oedometer loading test (E_{text{oed}}^{text{ref}} ), unloading/reloading stiffness (E_{text{ur}}^{text{ref}}) and power for the stress-level dependency of stiffness (m). The strength parameters were effective cohesion (c_{text{ref}}^{text{'}}), effective angle of internal friction (phi^{text{'}}) and angle of dilatancy (psi^{text{'}}). The advanced parameters were Poisson’s ratio for unloading–reloading (ν) and K0-value for normal consolidation left( {K_{circ}^{text{nc}} } right). Furthermore, Plaxis 3D was used to simulate the laboratory results to verify the effectiveness of this study. The results revealed that the stiffness parameters E_{50}^{text{ref}} , E_{text{oed}}^{text{ref}} , E_{text{ur}}^{text{ref}} and m are equal to 3.4 MPa, 3.6 MPa, 12 MPa and 0.7, respectively, and that the strength parameters c_{text{ref}}^{text{'}}, phi^{text{'}}, psi^{text{'}} and K_{circ}^{text{nc}} are equal to 33 kPa, 17.51°, 1.6° and 0.7, respectively. A final comparison of the laboratory results with the numerical results revealed that they were in accordance, which proved the efficacy of the study.