NORSAND-M

Description
NorSand-M is an isotropically hardening - isotropically softening generalised critical state
model that captures a wide range of particulate soil behaviour, the M corresponding to the
monotonic version of the constitutive model. From a users viewpoint, NorSand offers three
main attributes: (i) it uses few material properties which are easily measured in conventional
triaxial laboratory tests; (ii) the initial state parameter is readily measured; and (iii) it has been
validated for a range of stress paths, including plane strain, and offers second-order detail in
many aspects of soil behaviour. It therefore finds use as a general and validated soil model
suitable for practical engineering.
A comprehensive description of the constitutive model is provided on the Itasca web site
(details below). The NorSand constitutive model and its applications are also well
documented in the literature and a selection of these publications is also provided on the
Itasca web site documentation. However, for a good overview of the model and its
applications two references are recommended:
Jefferies, M.G. and D.A. Shuttle (2005). NorSand: Features, Calibration and Use. Invited
paper for the ASCE Geo-Institute Geo-Frontiers Conference, Austin, Texas,
January 2426, 2005. Published as Geotechnical Special Publication No. 128,
Soil Constitutive Models: Evaluation, Selection, and Calibration, pp 204-236,
editors Jerry A. Yamamuro and Victor N. Kaliakin.
Jefferies, M.G. & Been, K. (2006) Soil Liquefaction: A critical state approach, Taylor and
Francis, Abingdon.

NorSand-M Input parameters

Property name

Description

Symbol in literature

Typical range of
parameter

Critical State Locus

m_gamma

Reference void ratio

on CSL at

m =1 kPa

0.9 to 1.4
0.01 to 0.07

m_lambda

Slope of CSL in eloge(m) space

(note that some

references quote use
the log10(m)
measure, 10)

Plasticity
m_M

Friction ratio in the

critical state

m_N

Volumetric coupling
parameter in stress
dilatancy

Mtc

1.2 to 1.5

0.1 to 0.4

Property name

Description

Symbol in literature

Typical range of
parameter

m_chi

Parameter
determining
minimum dilatancy

tc

2.5 to 4.5 (typically

3.5, higher values
up to 8.0 have
been measured for
well graded natural
soils)

m_H

Hardening modulus

50 to 500 typical

Elasticity

I r = (G m ) range
100 to 800.
Where available use
G
derived
from
bender
elements
(laboratory
calibration)
and
seismic shear wave
velocity (in situ).

m_G

Shear modulus

m_poiss

Poissons ratio

0.1 to 0.3

Properties of State
m_psi

State parameter

-0.3 to +0.1 bounds

credible range

m_OCR

Over-consolidation
measure

1.0 to 3.5

NorSand-M Output parameters

Property name

Description

Symbol in literature

m_p

Mean effective stress

m_q

Shear stress invariant

m_void

Void ratio

m_e

Total volumetric strain

m_ep

Plastic volumetric strain

v,p

m_Lode

Lode angle

m_Pi

Image stress

pi

M_psi

State parameter

Practical hints

It is recommended that loading is applied gradually (e.g. ramped up) to obtain the
most accurate solution.

NorSand-M does not allow a tensile mean effective stress. Therefore smaller applied
velocities may be needed for problems where low effective stresses may develop.

Included documents / files

Name

Type

Description

NorSandM_v6.fis

FISH file1

Version 6 of the NorSand-M

constitutive model. The M
represents the monotonic
version of NorSand which
has not got the inner cap or
cyclic portions of the model
implemented.

Plane.dat

FLAC input file

Plane strain element test

with = -0.2

NS_Rwall_p10.dat
NS_Rwall_p00.dat
NS_Rwall_m10.dat
NS_Rwall_m20.dat
NS_Rwall_m30.dat

FLAC input file

Rough wall passive walls

spanning the credible range
of soil densities ( = +0.1,
0.0, -0.1, -0.2, -0.3)

NorSand-M_for_Itasca.pdf

Publication

NorSand-M description and

calibration procedures.

The model is provided in FISH to enable use by all FLAC licence holders. A .dll version will follow shortly.

Contact address
Golder Associates
Prof. Michael Jefferies
500 - 4260 Still Creek Drive
Burnaby, British Columbia
Canada V5C 6C6
mjefferies@golder.com
ITASCA Consultants GmbH
Leithestrae 111
45886 Gelsenkirchen
Germany
Tel.: +49-(0)209-147-5630
Fax: +49-(0)209-147-5632
Email: cppudm@itasca.de

Klohn Crippen Berger

Dr. Dawn Shuttle
500 - 2618 Hopewell Place NE
Calgary Alberta
Canada T1Y 7J7
dshuttle@klohn.com