Finite element modelling of a rammed earth wall

Construction with natural soils is becoming more and more popular due to new geoenvironmental approaches. In this context, this paper presents initially several experiments performed on the Missillac sand used as natural soil in this study:
• Identification tests to determine the pore size distribution curve as well as the compaction curve.
• Suction measurement to obtain the Soil Water Retention Curve (SWRC).
• Repeated Load Triaxial Tests (RLTT) to study the resilient mechanical behaviour of the soil when accommodation is observed after several cycles.
• Montonic triaxial tests to determine the Critical State Line (CSL).With these tests, all the parameters of the different constitutive models required for the elastoplastic modelling of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of this material can be determined.We propose finally, in this paper, to model a rammed earth wall built in this natural soil. The elastoplastic modelling was then performed, under static loadings, with the finite element code Cast3M. A good stability of the wall can be observed under the various loadings for the drier soils compared to the wall built at the water content w = 11%.

Research highlights
► Construction with natural soils is becoming more and more popular due to new geoenvironmental approaches.
► The elastoplastic modelling was then performed, under static loadings, with the finite element code Cast3M.
► A good stability of the wall can be observed under the various loadings for the drier soils compared to the wall built at the water content w = 11%.