10/10/2017 Drained-Undrained Strength

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Slide Model > Material Properties > Define Material Properties

Drained-Undrained Strength
The Drained-Undrained strength option in the Define Material Properties
dialog, allows you to define a soil strength envelope which considers both
drained and undrained Mohr-Coulomb strength parameters. The shear
strength is defined in terms of effective stress parameters c’ and phi’, up to
a maximum value of shear strength defined by the undrained cohesion Cu.

If c’, phi’ and Cu are all constant, then you can simply enter these
parameters directly in the Define Material Properties dialog.

If the cohesion is variable with depth:

1. Select the "Cohesion varies with depth" checkbox in the Define

Material Properties dialog.

2. This will enable the Define button. Select the Define button, and you
will see another dialog (the Drained-Undrained Strength Properties
dialog), in which you can define the drained and / or undrained
cohesion as a function of depth.

By default, the (Undrained) Cohesion Type = F(Depth) and the (Drained)

Cohesion Type = F(undrained Cu). However, you may define the Drained
and Undrained cohesion using any combination of the options described
below.

Undrained Strength Parameters

In the Drained-Undrained Strength Properties dialog, the Undrained

cohesion can be defined as:

Constant
F(Depth)
F(Datum)

by selecting from the Cohesion Type drop-list.

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Constant

Cohesion is constant throughout the material.

F(Depth)

Cohesion is a function of depth, where depth is measured from the

top of the material layer, to the center of a slice base.

Cu (Top) is the undrained Cohesion at the top of the material

layer.

Cu Change is the rate of change of undrained Cohesion with

depth.

If you wish to specify a maximum undrained soil strength,

select the Cutoff checkbox and enter a maximum value for
Cohesion. If the rate of Cu Change is negative, then the Cutoff
value represents the minimum soil strength.

F(Datum)

Cohesion is a function of depth, where depth is measured from a

user specified Datum (y-coordinate) to the center of a slice base.

Cu (Datum) is the undrained Cohesion at the Datum elevation.

Cu Change is the rate of change of undrained Cohesion with

distance (ydatum-y) from the Datum.

If you wish to specify a maximum undrained soil strength,

select the Cutoff checkbox and enter a maximum value for
Cohesion. If the rate of Cu Change is negative, then the Cutoff
value represents the minimum soil strength.

Datum is the datum elevation (y-coordinate).

Drained Strength Parameters

The Drained cohesion can be defined as:

Constant
F(Depth)

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F(Datum)
F(undrained Cu)

by selecting from the Cohesion Type drop-list.

Constant

Cohesion is constant throughout the material.

F(Depth)

Cohesion is a function of depth, where depth is measured from the

top of the material layer, to the center of a slice base.

c’ (Top) is the drained Cohesion at the top of the material layer.

c’ Change is the rate of change of drained Cohesion with depth.

F(Datum)

Cohesion is a function of depth, where depth is measured from a

user specified Datum (y-coordinate) to the center of a slice base.

c’ (Datum) is the drained Cohesion at the Datum elevation.

c’ Change is the rate of change of drained Cohesion with

distance (ydatum-y) from the Datum.

Datum is the datum elevation (y-coordinate).

NOTE: a Cutoff value cannot be defined for the Drained cohesion.

F(undrained Cu)

With this option, the drained cohesion c’ is defined as a fraction of

the undrained Cu, by entering a c’/Cu ratio. This automatically
defines the drained cohesion in terms of the undrained strength. For
example, if the undrained cohesion varies with depth, then the
drained cohesion will also vary with depth, according to the value of
Cu at a given depth, and the c’/Cu ratio.

Friction Angle Phi’

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The drained friction angle Phi’ for the material. This parameter does
NOT vary with depth.

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