10/07/2019

INTRODUCTION TO THE CRITICAL

STATE SOIL MODEL

Julio Esteban Colmenares Montañez

Titular Professor
National University of Colombia

Bogotá D.C., July 2019

Contents
• Introduction : A critical state model to interpret soil
behaviour
• Definitions
• Failure surface
• Soil yielding
• Features of the behaviour of NC and lightly OC soils
• Features of the behaviour of heavily OC soils
• Failure stresses of the CSM
• Undrained shear strength

Stress and strain invariants: measures that are

independent of the axis system used.
• Mean stress: is the space
diagonal on a graph σ1, σ2, σ3 is
the stress diagonal. It causes
volume changes.
•

• Deviatoric or shear stress: Is

represented by a line normal to
the mean stress. It causes
distortions or shearing to the soil
mass.
• Volumetric Strain:

• Deviatoric or distortional Shear Strain

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Axisymmetric condition.

• Therefore, shear is unaffected by pore water pressures

Hookes´s law using Stress and strain invariants

• The stress and strain invariants for an elastic material are related
as follows:

• (1)

• K´ is the effective bulk modulus and superscript e is for elastic

• (2)

• Eliminating E´ from (1) and (2)

Important points
• Stress and strain invariants are independent of
the axis system used.

• Stress and strain invariants are convenient

measures to determine the effects of a general
state of stresses and strains in soils.

• Mean stress represents the average stress on a

soil element, while deviatoric stress represents
the average shear or distortional stress.

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Soil stiffness
• E´: Elastic modulus
• G: Shear modulus.
• K´: Bulk modulus.

• We can obtain and estimate E´, G and K´

using CSM and results from axisymmetric
isotropic consolidation tests.

Soil stiffness
= − ln ´

Differentiating
´
=− ´

´ 1 ´
=− = ∶ = ´ ∶ =
1+ 0 1+ 0
´ ´ ´

´ ´
=
´ 1+ 0
´

1+ ´
=
´ 0

Soil stiffness
´
=3 ´
1−2 ´

3 ´
1+ 1−2 ´
=
´ 0

´
=
2 1+ ´

3 ´
1+ 0 1−2 ´
=
2 1+ ´

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A critical state model to interpret

soil behaviour
• There is a need to interpret and anticipate
soil behaviour.

• Real soils require a complex framework

because they are complex natural
materials and loads and loading paths can
not be anticipated accurately.

A CSM to interpret soil behaviour

• All soils will fail on a unique failure surface
in a p´, e, q space.
• CSM incorporate volume changes in its
failure criterion, unlike the Mohr-Coulomb
failure criterion, which defines failure as
the attainment of the maximum stress
obliquity.
• According to CSM, the failure stress state
is insufficient to guarantee failure; the soil
structure must also be loose enough.

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Definitions
• Over consolidation ratio (Ro) is the ratio by which the
mean effective stress in the soil was exceeded in the
past. Ro=p´c/p´o.
• Compression index (λ) is the slope of the normal
consolidation line in a ln(p´) - e space.
• Unloading/reloading or recompression index (κ) is
the average slope of the unloading/reload curves in a
ln(p´) - e space.
• Critical state line CSL is a line that represents the
failure state of soils. In a p´, q space, it has a slope M. In
ln(p´) –e space, it has a slope λ (parallel to NCL). In p´,
q, e space CSL becomes a CS surface.

Failure surface
Critical state: constant
stress state characterized
by continuous shear
deformation at constant
volume.

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Soil yielding

Prediction of
the
behaviour of
NC and
lightly OC
soils under
drained
conditions

Prediction
of the
behaviour
of NC and
lightly OC
soils under
undrained
conditions

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Prediction
of the
behaviour
of heavily
OC soils
under
drained
conditions

Predict
ion of
the
behavi
our of
heavily
OC
soils
under
undrai
ned
conditi
ons

Effect of effective stress paths on soil

response.

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Elements of the critical state model

• Yield surface

• CS parameters

– Failure line in (p´, q) space

Elements of the critical state model

Failure line in (p´, e) space

Failure stresses from the CSM : Drained triaxial test

3
= =
´ 0́
3−
M can not be > or = than 3

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Failure stresses from the CSM: Undrained triaxial test

Undrained shear strength Su : NC and lightly OC soils

Undrained shear strength Su: Heavily OC soils (Ro>2)

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Important points:

1. The intersection of the ESP and the CSL gives the

failure stresses.

2. Su depends only on the initial void ratio

3. Small changes in water content can significantly alter

Su.

Strains from the CS Model

∆ =∆ +∆
• Volumetric strains

Δ =| − !|
´
= + ln # $
"
! " ´
!
´
= + ln # ´
$

´
= " − % ln # ´$
"

´ ´
| − !| =Δ = %− ln # ´
$+ ln # ´
$
" !

∆ 1 ´ ´
∆ = = & %− ln # $+ ln # $'
1+ 0 1+ 0
´
"
´
!

Strains from the CS Model

• Volumetric strains
∆ 1 ´ ´
∆ = = & %− ln # $+ ln # $'
1+ 0 1+ 0
´
"
´
!

∆ ( !´ − ( ´
∆ = = = ln # $
1+ 0 1+ 0 1+ 0
´
!

∆ ´
∆ = ´

%− ´
∆ =∆ −∆ =) * ln # $
1+ 0 ´
"

For undrained conditions:

∆ =0=∆ +∆ ∶ ∆ = −∆

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Strains from the CS Model 2

+= − + =0 ´ 2 ´
,́ 2
• Shear strains Plastic potential function = yield surface
+=2 ´ ´
− ,́
´
+2 2 =0

,́ 0
2− 1
´
´
/ 3 − =−
=. 2
0 4
´
2 ´
- 1

´ 0 2
= =
,́ 0
2−
´

=
5 − ,́0
26
2 ´

1
Δ = Δ
3

Summary
• Basic concepts of the CSM have been introduced.

• There is a unique CSL in (p´, q) and (p´, e) space for

soils.

• There is an initial associated yield surface for soils. In

size depends on the pre-consolidation mean effective
stress.

• The yield surface expands for Ro≤2 and contracts for

Ro≥2, when the applied effective stress exceeds the
initial yield stress.

Summary
• Soils behave elastically for stresses that are within the
yield surface and elasto-plastically for stresses outside of
the yield surface.

• Every stress state must lie on an expanded or contracted

yield surface and on a corresponding
unloading/reloading line.

• Failure occurs when the ESP reaches the CSL and the
change in volume is zero.

• CSM qualitatively captures the essential features of soil

behaviour under drained and undrained loading.

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