CRACKS, BIFURCATION AND SHEAR BANDS PROPAGATION IN SATURATED CLAYS

Discontinuities in the form of cracks or fissures and inclusions are often present in natural clays. They serve as stress concentrators when loads are applied to the material. Such concentrations result in cracks advancing, often surrounded by and preceded by a propagating damage zone. As cracks propagate, the damage may be in the form of one or more shear bands, which may play the part of new stress concentrators and blunt the action of the original crack. This Paper examines some of the phenomena associated with cracks in over-consolidated clays and normally consolidated clays. Differences between isotropic and anisotropic materials, and the level at which serious modifications take place in the fabric of the material are noted. The influence of the cracks and the shear bands on the kinematics and strength of the test specimens is discussed.