Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

T01. Simulation of laboratory tests: Soil Testing tool

Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

Introduction

The SoilTest tool in PLAXIS has been created with the aim to compare the soil behaviour as
defined by constitutive model and a set of input parameter values with the results of laboratory
tests. It is possible to work on several models, and by considering the influence of the different
constitutive parameters on the material behaviour, the user can check all the values PLAXIS has
calculated during of the input. This process surely represents one of the primary aspects involved
into a validation process of a FEM-based analysis.

The convenience of SoilTest is due to the possibility to simulate simple tests without the need of the
creation of any finite element model. Since the utility is based on a single point algorithm, it totally
ignores the weight of the sample: one is asked to input just a few parameters (depending on the
selected model) and then run SoilTest.

This tutorial is the first step in becoming familiar with the use of the tool, allowing the performance
of both oedometer and triaxial tests on a soil sample. The curves obtained from the tests will be the
starting point for further considerations on the selected model; as for this exercise the user is asked
to work with Mohr Coulomb model.

Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

MOHR - COULOMB MODEL: OEDOMETER

Input

Firstly, the constitutive parameters and the modality of the test to perform have to be defined.

Start PLAXIS Input and select a new project from the Quick select window.

Through the Project properties menu (Figure 1) one can insert the general data of the project. The
Project properties window contains the tab sheets Project and Model. The Project tab sheet
contains the project name and description, the type of model (Plane strain or Axisymmetry) and
acceleration data. The Model tab sheet reports the basic units for length, force and time as well as
the dimensions of the draw area.

To carry out this exercise a title is needed, and eventually some arbitrary information in the
Comments box; as already pointed out in the introduction, no geometry has to be created so the
other General data can be left unmodified.

Figure 1. Project properties: Project tab sheet.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

Click the OK button to proceed with the input of constitutive parameters.

Save the project selecting File Save as.. from the main menu.

In order to predict the soil behaviour, a suitable constitutive model with appropriate parameters has
to be assigned.

Select the Materials button

on the toolbar to load a material sets window showing the

contents of the project data base (the same window can be reached by choosing Soil & Interface
from Materials in the main menu).

In PLAXIS, both soil and material properties of different structures are stored in material data sets.
There are basically four types of material sets: Soil & Interfaces, Plates, Geogrids and Anchors. All
data sets are stored in a material database. Usually before the mesh generation, from the database,
the data sets have to be assigned to the soil clusters or to the corresponding structural objects in the
geometry model.
The first soil test performed is an oedometer test on a sand specimen, so a Soil & Interfaces data set
has to be defined (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Material sets window.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

Create a new set by clicking the New button.

In the General tabsheet appearing (Figure 3), it is requested to insert a representative name for the
soil type (i.e. Sand) as well as the constitutive model (Mohr-Coulomb) and the material type
(Drained); a Comments box allows the user to write further information. As stated before, there is
no need for any weight value.

Click the Next button or click the Parameters tab to proceed with the input of model parameters
(depending on the chosen model).

Insert the values shown in Figure 4.

The values of the shear modulus Gref and the constrained modulus (or oedometer modulus) Eoed are
automatically calculated by PLAXIS relating them to Youngs modulus and Poissons ratio
according to Hookes law of isotropic elasticity:

G=

E
2 (1 + )

Figure 3. Sand Data set: General.

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(1)

Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

E oed =

(1 ) E
(1 2 ) (1 + )

(2)

No values have to be entered on flow parameters, interfaces or initial tab.

Click OK to save the material just defined and to go on.

The SoilTest option

is available from the Material sets window if a soil data is

selected. Alternatively, the SoilTest option can be reached from the Soil and interface material set
dialog. In that case the open soil material set must first be saved before the soil test option can be
started.

Select the soil test option, a separate window will open (Figure 5).

That window contains a menu, a toolbar and several smaller sections. The menu and toolbar allow
for saving and loading of soil test results. The main selection is the Test type window, which shows
an overview of the current test settings.

Figure 4. Sand Data set: Parameters.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

It contains tab sheets for different types of tests, as well as a list of previously run tests that have
been opened from the menu. Below the test type window an overview of the material model and
corresponding parameters of the current data set is shown.

Choose Oedometer to proceed.

Calculations

Now it is requested to list the different phases of the oedometer test. Each phase is defined by a

Duration, a vertical Stress increment and a Number of steps in which the stress increment is
divided. The initial state is always stress free. In order to perform this exercise only one phase is
needed.

Insert the values shown in Figure 5 in the fields and delete the second default phase by the
button Remove.

The duration can be set equal to zero since time is not an issue in this case.

A negative stress increment represents a compression in units of stress (whereas a positive stress
increment implies unloading or tension); the number of steps indicates how many sub-parts the
stress increment is divided in.

Figure 5. SoilTest main window.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

Figure 6. Results window: Diagrams.

Click the Run button to start the calculations.

The Results window will show several diagrams which are typical to display the result of the
current test (Figure 6).

Curves

The first diagram (Figure 7) represents the ratio between the vertical stress 1 and the
corresponding strain 1 . The test ends when the input value ( 1 = 500 kN m 2 ) is reached. The
picture shows a linear dependence between the vertical stress and the vertical strain; the slope
representing the oedometer modulus Eoed.
By substituting the input values to the corresponding parameters into Equation (2), one obtains:

E oed =

(1 - 0.3) 40000 = 53846

(1 - 2 0.3) (1 + 0.3)

kN m 2

In order to check if that value corresponds to the slope of the curve, the list of Cartesian points has
to be considered.
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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

1
E oed

Figure 7. Curves: sig_1 eps_1.

Double-clicking one of the graphs to open the selected diagram in a larger window.

The Data tab sheet lists the data points that are used to plot this diagram (each of them is
representative of a single loading step, Figure 7).

Figure 7. Data list: sig_1 eps_1.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

By choosing a generic point, for example the one representative of the eighth step ( 1 = 55 kN m 2
; 1 = 1,02143 10 3 ), it is possible to obtain the same Eoed value as before:

E oed =

55
= 53846 kN m 2
3
1,02143 10

The second curve (Figure 8) is a 1 3 diagram. The slope of the graph is the inverse value of the
earth pressure coefficient at rest K0 :

K0 =

=
1 1-

(3)

1 1 - 0 ,3
=
= 2,33
K0
0,3

By selecting the Cartesian points associated to ninth step ( 1 = 40 kN m 2 ; 3 = 17,14 kN m 2 ,

Figure 9) the slope can be confirmed:

1
40
=
= 2 ,33
K 0 17 ,14

1/Ka
1/Ko
-325

1/Kp
-30

Figure 8. Curves: sig_1 - sig_3.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

The dotted lines represent the two boundaries for allowable values of ( 1 , 3 ) points on the graph.
The steepest line is related to the failure in active thrust conditions, so it is characterized by a slope
which is the reciprocal of the active thrust coefficient Ka ; on the contrary the lower line is related to
a failure in passive thrust conditions (slope 1 K p ):

1 1 + sin 1 + sin ( 32 )
=
=
= 3, 25
K a 1 - sin 1 sin ( 32 )
1 1 - sin 1 sin ( 32 )
=
=
= 0,31
K p 1 + sin 1 + sin ( 32 )

One can easily verify that by choosing two points laying on those lines, for example (

1 = 325 kN m 2 ; 3 = 100 kN m 2 ) and ( 1 = 30 kN m 2 ; 3 = 100 kN m 2 ).

The diagram in Figure 10 is represented in a deviator stress against mean stress plane ( q = 1 - 3 ;

p=

1 + 2 3
); the broken line shows the failure condition (it is the projection of the Mohr3

Coulomb surface on the q p' plane).

Figure 9. Data list: sig_1 sig_3.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

MC =

MC =

6 sin
3 sin

6sen ( 32 )
3 sen ( 32 )

(4)

= 1, 29

The same steepness value is confirmed by looking at the point ( q = 129 kN m 2 ;

p = 100 kN m 2 ).

The last graph (Figure 11) is a plane with the Mohrs circle relatively to the final stress
condition ( 1 = 500 kN m 2 ; 3 = 214 kN m 2 ).
The Mohr-Coulomb criterion = c'+ tan is there represented by a dotted line; looking at the
point ( = 480 kN m 2 ; = 300 kN m 2 ) one immediately obtains:

c'
= arctan
= arctan ( 0.62 ) = 32

(5)

MC

129

Figure 10. Curves: q p.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

'

Figure 11. Curves: tau - sig.

which is the friction angle and the slope of the line as well.

Note
The last diagram (Figure 11) in the plane shows how in an oedometer test, by choosing a
radial stress path less steep than the MC -line in the q p' plane, it is impossible to reach failure;
the broken line wont ever be tangential to Mohr circle. That is the reason why the oedometer test is
performed in order to collect information about the material stiffness; no data are provided about its
resistance. In estimating the material strength a shear test is needed, such as a triaxial test like the
one shown in details in the next section.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

MOHR COULOMB MODEL: TRIAXIAL TEST (D)

Input

Keeping the results just achieved in the oedometer test section, it is possible to simulate a triaxial
test on the same material specimen (Figure 12). So click on the Triaxial tab sheet in order to
proceed.

Calculations

The triaxial tab sheet contains facilities to define an isotropically consolidated standard drained or
undrained triaxial loading test.

The parameters needed here are obviously different from those required by an oedometer test: a cell
pressure value which is kept constant during the performing of the test ( 3 = 100 kN m 2 ), the
maximum vertical strain value 1 (the test is in deformation control, insert of 5% or 0,05-depending
on PLAXIS version- for that parameter), which means a total deformation the number of steps the
maximum strain is divided in (100 steps), finally the selection between drained or consolidated
undrained test (go for Drained). Click on the Run button to start the test and in order to make the
corresponding diagrams appear on the video (Figure 13).

Figure 12. Triaxial test.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

Figure 13. Triaxial test curves.

Curves

The diagram in Figure 14 shows the relationship between the deviator stress q and the vertical strain
a. The curve is composed by two parts related to two different types of behaviour: a linear elastic
branch, followed by the sample failure with perfectly plastic behaviour.

Note
In the Lecture dealing with hardening models it will be shown that for a proper modelling of soils,
the transition between elastic and plastic state should be smooth.
This is the main improvement introduced by the more advanced models which are explained and
used in next Lectures and Exercises.

The second curve (Figure 15) relates the main principal stresses each other. The dotted lines
represent respectively the compression and extension failure conditions; being constant the minor
stress during the test performance, the stress path results with a vertical up to failure due to high
compression load. Just checking on the Data list, the user can easily find out that the specimen fails
when the maximum principal stress reaches the value of 329 kN m 2 (same value as the one
shown in Figure 15, for a cell pressure of 100 kN m 2 ).
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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

E ref

Figure 14. Curves: q eps_1.

The third plot in Figure 16 is a q p' representation: starting from the isotropic consolidation
condition ( p = 100 kN m 2 on the x-axis), the sample moves towards the Mohr-Coulomb line (

MC ) with a constant slope equal to 1 to 3.

Figure 15. Curves: sig_1 sig_3.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

3
MC
1

Figure 16. Curves: q p.

This can be proved as usual by choosing a couple of points from the Data list, or simply by
substituting the constant cell pressure condition ( 3 = 0 ) in the stress path slope expression:

Figure 17. Curves: tau sig.

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Tutorial 1 - Simulation of a laboratory tests

1 3
q
=
1 + 2 3
p
3

(6)

The last diagram (Figure 17) shows a plane with the Mohrs circle touching the failure line.
In that condition the principal stress values can be pointed out on the x-axis.

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