Finite element modelling of the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils subjected to wetting and drying cycles with shakedown concept

International audienceA simplified model based on the shakedown theory (Zarka method) has been developed in this study for unsaturated expansive soils subjected to wetting and drying cycles. This method determines directly the stabilised limit state. The parameters of the proposed shakedown-based model are calibrated by the suction-controlled odometer tests obtained for an expansive soil compacted at loose and dense initial states, and then validated for the same soil compacted at intermediate initial state by comparing the model predictions with the experimental results. Finally, the finite element equations for the proposed shakedown model are developed and these equations are implemented in the finite element code CAST3M to carry out the full-scale calculations. The performed simulation is on a 2D geometry, made up of the expansive soil at the intermediate state subjected to successive extremely dry and wet seasons for the different applied vertical loads. The results show the swelling plastic deformations for the lower vertical stresses and the shrinkage deformations for the higher vertical stresses. Only inelastic heaving displacement can be observed in the geometry after considering the residual field