Collapse Upon Wetting

Abstract

This chapter presents the modeling of the phenomenon of collapse upon wetting using the effective stress approach established in Chapter 2 and the elastoplastic framework for the volumetric behavior of soils proposed in the previous chapter. Using the probabilistic porous-solid model, Bishop’s parameter  can be obtained to determine the current effective stress. The proposed framework includes the hysteresis of the SWRC and, to some extent, the hydro-mechanical coupling of unsaturated soils. This model is able to reproduce some particularities of the phenomenon of collapse upon wetting that other models cannot simulate.

Keywords: Collapse upon wetting, Unsaturated soils, effective stress, Elastoplastic framework, Yield surface, Suction hardening, Soil-water retention curve, Hysteresis, Hydro-mechanical coupling, Porous-solid model, Bishop’s effective stress equation, Compacted soils, Neutral loading, Suction controlled tests, Preconsolidation stress.