Elasto-plastic coupling in soils: A thermodynamic-based approach

In the present study the implications of a thermodynamic-based constitutive framework on the mechanical behaviour of soils are critically analysed. The primary advantage of this approach as compared to the traditional hardening plasticity is that the models are guaranteed to obey the laws of thermodynamics. Furthermore, the use of potential functions allows to introduce some crucial ingredients of the mechanical behaviour of soils that directly affect the shape of the yield surface and the flow rule of the model. To illustrate the above features, different forms of elasto-plastic coupling are presented and their implications on the response of the models are explored with reference to a series of numerical simulations.