Automatic joint element generation to simulate strain softening yield behaviour in earthern materials

This paper describes a model incorporating automatically generated joint elements to simulate the observed behaviour of strain softening materials, including the post-yield behaviour. Good agreement was obtained when this model was used to back analyse triaxial and direct shear tests of such a material. The collapse load of strip footings as predicted by this model was also compared with previously published results, giving excellent agreement. This model, therefore has a useful capability of analysing the complete stress-strain behaviour of soils, including the prediction of the collapse load and the post-yield behaviour. At the same time, it maintains the advantages of non-linear elastic models in that it incorporates directly the constitutive relationships and the yield criteria based on experimental evidence, in this case, the results of conventional triaxial and direct shear tests.