A structured Cam Clay model

Abstract

A theoretical study of the behaviour of structured soil is presented. A new model, referred to as the Structured Cam Clay model, is formulated by introducing the influence of soil structure into the Modified Cam Clay model. The proposed model is hierarchical, i.e., it is identical to the Modified Cam Clay soil model if a soil has no structure or if its structure is removed by loading. Three new parameters describing the effects of soil structure are introduced, and the results of a parametric study are also presented. The proposed model has been used to predict the behaviour of structured soils in both compression and shearing tests. By making comparisons of predictions with experimental data and by conducting the parametric study it is demonstrated that the new model provides satisfactory qualitative and quantitative modelling of many important features of the behaviour of structured soils.Key words: calcareous soils, clays, fabric, structure, constitutive relations, plasticity.