Modeling of soils using isotropic and anisotropic models

Ghobadi, Behnam; Taheri, Ehsan; Amiri, Seyed Ali Ghoreishian; Eftekhari, Mosleh

doi:10.22059/ijmge.2025.381819.595192

Modeling of soils using isotropic and anisotropic models

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Behnam Ghobadi ¹

Ehsan Taheri ¹

Seyed Ali Ghoreishian Amiri ²

Mosleh Eftekhari ¹

¹ Faculty of Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

² PoreLab, Department of Civil and Environmental Eng., Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.

10.22059/ijmge.2025.381819.595192

Abstract

In this study, two behavioral models—unified and multilaminate—are employed to simulate soil behavior. The unified model incorporates a non-associated flow rule along with the critical state concept. Additionally, the sub-loading surface concept is adopted to capture a smooth elastic-plastic transition. For numerical implementation, the implicit Euler method is used. The multilaminate model is based on a 13-plane framework, in which each plane exhibits elastic-plastic behavior. The overall soil response is obtained by integrating the elastic-plastic responses of the individual planes oriented in various directions at a material point. A set of unconventional constitutive equations is applied to each plane. This model captures soil softening behavior more realistically due to the use of a non-classical plasticity approach. Moreover, it accounts for the effect of induced anisotropy. To evaluate the models, four clay samples subjected to monotonic loading—under both drained and undrained conditions—were analyzed using both the unified and multilaminate models and were compared with experimental data. The results demonstrate that the unified model offers a more favorable representation of soil behavior.

Keywords

General dilatancy rule

Implicit method

Multilaminate theory

Sub-loading surface

Unified model

Subjects

Geotechnics

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