Elasto-plastic analysis of the interface behaviour between granular media and structure

Roger Frank (1) , Vincenzo de Gennaro (1)

1 CERMES - Centre d'enseignement et de recherche en mécanique des sols

It is well known that interfaces usually play a major role in the definition of the mechanical behaviour of engineering structures having interactions with the soil. In this paper the general framework of an elasto-plastic constitutive model developed on purpose for describing the interface behaviour is presented. The model is based on a Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, including deviatoric hardening/softening, phase transformation state (compaction and dilatancy) and ultimate state. The choice of the constitutive parameters and their identification is first discussed. The predictions of the model are then presented and compared with available experimental data from various interface tests between sand and metal plates. The results of the numerical analyses emphasise the key role played by the volumetric behaviour of the interface (compaction and dilatancy), linked in some cases with the change in the normal stress acting on the structure surface and, consequently, controlling the shear resistance at the interface.

Mots clés: soil-structure interface; elasto-plasticity; constitutive law; interface testing; modelling

Domaines: Matériaux et structures en mécanique [physics.class-ph]; Matériaux et structures en mécanique [physics.class-ph]

Roger Frank, Vincenzo de Gennaro. Elasto-plastic analysis of the interface behaviour between granular media and structure. Computers and Geotechnics, 2002, 29, N°7, pp. 547-572. ⟨10.1016/S0266-352X(02)00010-1⟩. ⟨hal-00129509⟩