XFEM Composite Failure Criterion and Slope Failure Simulation Based on ABAQUS

Abstract

AbstractConventional numerical methods face major challenges in simulating the complex failure process of soil slopes effectively and accurately. This paper introduces a tension-shear composite failure criterion that elucidates the compound failure mechanisms of soil slopes, realized in the ABAQUS software through the secondary development of a user subroutine and simulated via the extended finite element method (XFEM) module. This method is utilized to simulate the process of soil slope failure under conditions that include heaping load at the crest and excavation at the toe, accompanied by analyses of the failure patterns. The methodology's validity and accuracy are substantiated through comparison with experimental data. The proposed approach adeptly captures the initiation, propagation, and ultimate penetration of cracks during the slope failure process, offering an effective method for simulating the entire slope failure.