The yielding of brittle unsaturated granular soils

• DOI: 10.1680/geot.10.p.118
• Publication Date: 2011-11-30T21:44:51Z
• Authors: G. BUSCARNERA; I. EINAV
• Keywords: Helmholtz free energy; Breakage; Soil Mechanics; Brittleness; Hydraulics

A complete thermodynamic theory is presented that capable of explaining the dependence yielding on degree saturation in brittle granular aggregates. Historically, constitutive models represented this coupling between mechanics and hydraulics only phenomenologically, by way incorporation loading collapse curve concept. This was done both for fine-grained soils, and, latter case, without embodying physical connection to elasticity, as motivated fracture mechanics. Here, captured breakage theory, which underpins a grain-size scaling mechanical part Helmholtz free energy potential. In addition, an explicit reliance potential hydraulic measures explored, with another inspired capillary theory. It shown through homogenisation these two laws motivate total macroscopic that, together dissipation, captures salient couplings properties, while showing promising agreement experiments.