Prediction of sand instability under constant shear drained paths

Abstract

The unstable behavior of soil slopes under water infiltration is usually studied by means of constant shear drained triaxial tests, wherein mean principal effective stress decreases gradually, while shear stress is maintained fixed and full drainage is allowed. A certain criterion for loss of stability under triaxial constant shear drained paths is obtained here. A state-dependent plasticity model is employed to simulate behavior of Changi sand samples under constant shear drained path. Comparison of model simulations with experimental data indicates that, sand behavior under triaxial drained and undrained paths, as well as triaxial constant shear drained tests, can be simulated realistically using a unique set of parameters.