NONLINEAR MODEL OF SMALL-STRAIN BEHAVIOR OF SOILS

The paper describes a general approach to the development of a constit utive model for predicting the generalized small-strain behaviour of s oils. The model incorporates non-linear stress-strain behaviour, stres s-path dependence and a consistent definition of the small-strain regi on (SSR), Based on this general approach, a simple model is proposed w hich incorporates cross-anisotropic elasticity within the linear elast ic region (LER) and elliptical boundaries for the LER and SSR, The mod el leads to unique normalized stress-strain behaviour of undisturbed B othkennar clay for the complete range of stress probe directions in tr iaxial stress space, The comparison confirms the uniqueness of the nor malized volumetric and deviatoric stress-strain behaviour, The model c an easily be incorporated into numerical procedures for solving two- a nd three-dimensional boundary value problems.