Micromechanical modelling for effect of inherent anisotropy on cyclic behaviour of sand

The inherent anisotropy more or less exists in sand when preparing samples in laboratory or taking from field. The purpose of this paper is to model cyclic behaviour of sand by means of a micromechanical approach considering inherent anisotropy. The micromechanical stress-strain model developed in an earlier study by Chang and Hicher (2005) is enhanced to account for the stress reversal on a contact plane and the density state-dependent dilatancy. The enhanced model is first examined by simulating typical drained and undrained cyclic tests in conventional triaxial conditions. The model is then used to simulate drained cyclic triaxial tests under constant p' on Toyoura sand with different initial void ratios and different levels of p', and undrained triaxial tests on dense and loose Nevada sand. The applicability of the present model is evaluated through comparisons between the predicted and the measured results. The evolution of local stresses and local strains at inter-particle planes due to externally applied load are discussed. All simulations have demonstrated that the proposed micromechanical approach is capable of modelling the cyclic behaviour of sand with inherent and induced anisotropy. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.