Multi‐laminate model of clays—a numerical evaluation of the influence of rotation of the principal stress axes

Abstract

Abstract A new framework for the development of constitutive models based on certain aspects of physical theories of plasticity is proposed. The resulting Multi‐laminate model of clays has the same response as the Critical state model provided no rotation of principal stress axes takes place during plastic flow. The influence of rotation of the principal stress axes on the volumetric and deviatoric plastic strains has been numerically evaluated. In undrained saturated, normally consolidated clays considerable excess pore pressure may build up due to rotation of the principal axes only. Numerical studies of the collapse of footings indicate that significant rotations do not take place in this class of problems and consequently the collapse load is only marginally reduced.