Numerical Simulation of the Failure of Dense Sands Reinforced with a Smooth Brass Plate in Plane Strain Compression

A finite element (FE) simulation of plane strain compression (PSC) tests of dense sands reinforced with a smooth brass plate is described. In the FEM analyses, the effects of the following factors on sands were taken into account: (a) confining pressures; (b) anisotropy; (c) non-linear pre-peak strain-hardening and strain-softening; (d) dilatancy; and (e) strain localization into a shear band or bands with a thickness in proportional to the particle size. Considering the slippage at the interface between the sands and the reinforcement, Goodman type joint elements were used as interface elements in the numerical simulation, which could reasonably model the interaction behavior between the sands and the reinforcement. The results indicate that the strain-stress relationship obtained by FEM analyses is generally in good agreement with that of plane strain compression tests. It is found that the relationship between maximum stress ratio and pre-peak stiffness obtained from the FEM analyses is close to the experimental result. In addition, it is also shown that the progressive failure of reinforced sands with a development of shear bands can be reasonably examined by the proposed FE analyses, and interaction behavior between the sands and the reinforcement can be better understood.