An assessment of plasticity theories for modelling the incrementally non–linear behavior of granular soils

The objective of this paper is to assess the predictive capability of different classes of extended plasticity theories (bounding surface plasticity, generalized plasticity and generalized tangential plasticity) in the modeling of incremental nonlinearity, which is one of the most striking features of the mechanical behavior of granular soils, occurring as a natural consequence of the particular nature of grain interactions at the microscale. To this end, the predictions of the various constitutive models considered are compared to the results of a series of Distinct Element simulations performed ad hoc. In the comparison, extensive use is made of the concept of incremental strain-response envelope in order to assess the directional properties of the material response for a given initial state and stress history.