Relating cone penetration resistance to sand state using the material point method

Cone penetration tests (CPTs) can quantitatively inform about the mechanical state of a sand. However, relating measured cone resistance values to sand state requires complex back-analysis of the processes occurring in the soil during the test. This paper provides new evidence of the value added in this area by modern large-deformation...

Modelling the cyclic ratcheting of sands through memory-enhanced bounding surface plasticity

The modelling and simulation of cyclic sand ratcheting is tackled by means of a plasticity model formulated within the well-known critical state, bounding surface SANISAND framework. For this purpose, a third locus – termed the ‘memory surface’ – is cast into the constitutive formulation, so as to phenomenologically capture micro-mechanical,...

A macroelement framework for shallow foundations including changes in configuration

Macroelement plasticity models are being increasingly applied to study non-linear soil–foundation interaction (SFI) problems. Macroelement models are particularly appealing from a computational standpoint, as they can capture the essence of SFI by means of a few degrees of freedom. However, all the macroelement formulations available in the...