Chapter
Feb 22, 2024

Implementation of a New Strain Softening Constitutive Model in the Material Point Method for the Simulation of Retrogressive Failure in Sensitive Clays

Publication: Geo-Congress 2024

ABSTRACT

Sensitive clays experience significant strain-softening behavior, that is, when subjected to large strains. They disintegrate into a remolded liquid with diminutive shear strength. When a slope begins to fail, the remolded clay keeps moving away from its original position causing subsequent failures, resulting in catastrophic aftermath. The capability to reproduce realistic strain-softening characteristics in the constitutive soil model is necessary for more accurate numerical slope analyses in sensitive clays. This paper illustrates a simple yet practical constitutive model specially developed for simulating the strain-softening behavior of sensitive clays. The model is then implemented in Anura3D, an open-source software that uses the material point method to simulate large deformations. The model is tested using the failure of a previously occurred retrogressive failure in sensitive clay. Finally, the model’s predictions have been compared with the actual post-failure run out of the landslide, and the results show that the model is reasonable and practical.

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REFERENCES

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Geo-Congress 2024
Pages: 286 - 296

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Published online: Feb 22, 2024

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Zinan A. Urmi [email protected]
1Dept. of Applied Science, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada. Email: [email protected]
Ali Saeidi, Ph.D., M.ASCE
2Dept. of Applied Science, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada
Alba Yerro, Ph.D., M.ASCE [email protected]
3Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. Email: [email protected]
Rama V. P. Chavalli, Ph.D.
4Dept. of Applied Science, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada

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