Soil Failure Analysis

Dr Wassel AL Bodour
 Stress Invariants
• Cambridge: Mean Stress • MIT: Mean Stress

𝜎 ′ + 𝜎′ + 𝜎′ 𝜎 ′ + 𝜎′
′ 𝑥 𝑦 𝑧 ′ 𝑥 𝑦
𝜎𝑚 = 𝜎𝑚 =
3 2
′ ′ ′ ′ ′
𝜎
′ = 1
+ 𝜎2 + 𝜎3 𝜎
′ = 1
+ 𝜎2
𝜎𝑚 𝜎𝑚
3 2

𝜎 ′ + 𝜎′ + 𝜎′ 𝜎 ′ + 𝜎′
′ = 𝑣
𝜎𝑚
ℎ ℎ ′ = 𝑣
𝜎𝑚
ℎ
3 2
′ 1 + 2𝑘 ′
′ =
𝜎𝑣 0 ′
𝜎𝑣 1 + 𝑘0
𝜎𝑚 𝜎𝑚 =
3 2
 Stress Invariants
• Mean stress/Isotropic pressure: Volume change
• Deviatoric stress: Shape change/Distortion

𝜎𝑖𝑗 = 𝜎𝑚 𝐼 + 𝑆𝑖𝑗
Stress Invariants
Stress Invariants
Stress Invariants
Stress Space q

Space: q-p
𝑞 = 𝜎1 − 𝜎3
′ ′ ′
𝜎1 + 𝜎2 + 𝜎3
𝑝′ =
3
P’
Space: σ1, σ2, σ3 σ2

σ1

σ3
 Analysis Planes
• π Plane
• Deviatoric stress plane
• Meridian
 Basic Concepts
• Metal traction test
 Plastic Behavior of Soil
• Perfect Plasticity
 Plastic Behavior of Soils

• Plastic Models
 Plastic behavior of Soil
• Hardening/Softening
 Stress Path Method
• Space p-q
• Stress change formula
• Mohr-Coulomb: q Peak (pf,qf )
𝑞 = 𝑐 ∗ + 𝜂𝑝 Stress path
Slope 1:3
𝑐 ∗ : the intercept
𝜂:Slope
p

Failure circle
 Stress Path Method
• Space p-q
• Stress change formula
• Let Δσ1 =2 Δσ3 q Peak (pf,qf )
• q = q0 + Δσ1 /4
Stress path
• p=p0+ 3Δσ1/4 Slope 1:3

Failure circle
Failure Analysis/Tresca
• Critical Shear Stress
• Undrained Conditions
• For 2D principal stresses Space
1
𝜎1 − 𝜎3 ≤ 𝑆
2
𝐶=𝑇
𝑇
𝑆=
2
S: Shear Strength
T: Uniaxial Tensile Strength
C: Compressive Strength
Failure Analysis/Tresca
• For 3D principal stresses state
1 2
𝜎1 − 𝜎3 ≤ 𝑆2
4

1 2
𝜎2 − 𝜎3 ≤ 𝑆2
4

1 2
𝜎3 − 𝜎1 ≤ 𝑆2
4
Failure Analysis/Von Mises
• Critical Distortional Energy
• Undrained Conditions
• For 2D principal stresses Space
1 2
𝜎1 − 𝜎2 + 𝜎2 − 𝜎3 2 + 𝜎3 − 𝜎1 2 ≤ 𝑇2
2
𝐶=𝑇
𝑇
𝑆=
3
S: Shear Strength
T: Uniaxial Tensile Strength
C: Compressive Strength
Failure Analysis/Von Mises
1 2 2 2
𝜎1 − 𝜎2 + 𝜎2 − 𝜎3 + 𝜎3 − 𝜎1 ≤ 𝑇2
2
 Plastic Limit Analysis
• Perfect Plastic
• No dilation/No associative flow rule
• Upper Bound theorem
• Lower Bound Theorem
• limit state (plastic collapse) will occur when the
deformation continues to increase with the load
remaining constant
• Stress field within the soil mass remains constant.
 Lower Bound Analysis
• If all changes in geometry occurring during
collapse are neglected, a statically admissible
collapse load, Fsc , is always less than or equal
to the exact collapse load Fc (i.e.,Fsc ≤ Fc). The
equality sign is valid only when the statically
admissible stress field is the true stress field. In
other words, the load derived from a statically
admissible stress field, Fsc , is a lower bound of
the true collapse load, Fc.
 Upper Bound Limit Analysis
• Define a kinematically admissible velocity field that
is compatible with the boundary conditions
• A load Fkc is defined as a collapse load that
corresponds to a kinematically admissible velocity
field
Upper Bound Analysis
• Suggested procedure (Yu 2006)
• Assume a kinematic failure mechanism.
• Draw a relevant velocity field diagram to give the
relationship between various velocity components.
• Derive the external work and the internal (plastic)
power dissipation and equate them.
• Solve the energy equation to obtain an upper bound
solution.
Upper Bound:
Velocity discontinuity and plastic power dissipation

𝜏 = 𝜎𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙 + 𝑐
𝑝 𝑝
𝐷 = 𝜎𝑛 𝑑𝜀𝑛 + 𝜏𝑑𝜀𝑡 ℎ = 𝜎𝑛 𝑑𝑢𝑛 + 𝜏𝑑𝑢𝑡
𝑝
𝑑𝜀𝑛 𝑑𝑢𝑛
𝑝 = = −𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙
𝑑𝜀𝑡 𝑑𝑢𝑡

D=𝜏𝑑𝑢𝑡 − 𝜎𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙𝑑𝑢𝑡 = 𝜏 − 𝜎𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙 𝑑𝑢𝑡

D=𝑐𝑑𝑢𝑡
Upper Bound : Velocity Field from
Displacement Diagram
• Consider strip foundation bearing capacity
failure
• For Undrained conditions (Su, T, M-C)
• No volume change, i.e. associative flow rule
• The displacement is parallel to the slip surface
Upper Bound : Velocity Field from
Displacement Diagram
• Undrained shear strength su
• Two-rigid block mechanism with three slip
surfaces
Upper Bound : Velocity Field from
Displacement Diagram
Upper Bound : Velocity Field from
Displacement Diagram
Upper Bound : Velocity Field from
Displacement Diagram
Upper Bound : Velocity Field from
Displacement Diagram
Upper Bound : Velocity Field from
Displacement Diagram
Upper Bound : Velocity Field from
Displacement Diagram
Upper Bound : Velocity Field from
Displacement Diagram
Upper-bound for a foundation on
cohesive-frictional soils
Upper-bound for a foundation on
cohesive-frictional soils
Upper-bound for a foundation on
cohesive-frictional soils