Numerical Algorithms for Elastoplacity: Finite Elements Code Development and Implementation of the Mohr–Coulomb Law

Abstract

Two numerical algorithms for solving elastoplastic problems with the finite element method are presented. The first deals with the implementation of the return mapping algorithm and is based on a fixed-point algorithm. This method rewrites the system of elastoplasticity non-linear equations in a form adapted to the fixed-point method. The second algorithm relates to the computation of the elastoplastic consistent tangent matrix using a simple finite difference scheme. A first validation is performed on a nonlinear bar problem. The results obtained show that both numerical algorithms are very efficient and yield the exact solution. The proposed algorithms are applied to a two-dimensional rockfill dam loaded in plane strain. The elastoplastic tangent matrix is calculated by using the finite difference scheme for Mohr–Coulomb’s constitutive law. The results obtained with the developed algorithms are very close to those obtained via the commercial software PLAXIS. It should be noted that the algorithm’s code, developed under the Matlab environment, offers the possibility of modeling the construction phases (i.e., building layer by layer) by activating the different layers according to the imposed loading. This algorithmic and implementation framework allows to easily integrate other laws of nonlinear behaviors, including the Hardening Soil Model.