Diffuse failure in geomaterials : experiments and modelling
Abstract
While localized failure has been extensively studied, diffuse failure modes are still not characterized from an experimental point of view and not described by proper criteria from a theoretical point of view. The purpose of this paper is to tackle both these questions by considering, in a first part, undrained triaxial loading on very loose sands and the failure mode occurring at q-peak, and, in a second part, the bifurcation domain of sands in plane strain conditions through strain proportional paths and incrementally piece-wise linear and non-linear constitutive relations.