A thermodynamics-based three-scale constitutive model for partially saturated granular materials

A three-scale constitutive model for unsaturated granular materials based on thermodynamic theory is presented. The three-scale yield locus, derived from the explicit yield criterion for solid matrix, is developed from a series of discrete interparticle contact planes. The three-scale yield locus is sensitive to porosity changes; therefore, it is reinterpreted as a corresponding constitutive model without phenomenological parameters. Furthermore, a water retention curve is proposed based on special pore morphology and experimental observations. The features of the partially saturated granular materials are well captured by the model. Under wetting and isotropic compression, volumetric compaction occurs, and the degree of saturation increases. Moreover, the higher the matric suction, the greater the strength, and the smaller the volumetric compaction. Compared with the phenomenological Barcelona basic model, the proposed three-scale constitutive model has fewer parameters; virtually all parameters have clear physical meanings. (c) 2024 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.