An Approach for Rotational Hardening in Geotechnical Modelling

The object of this paper is the definition of a purely kinematic rotational approach for the elastoplastic modelling of soils. Once the shape of the yield and plastic potential surfaces is assigned, their rotational kinematics in the stress space is ruled by a second order tensor directed along their surface axes. The proposed approach differs from others proposed in literature since it does not introduce any distortion of the surface and is suitable for the description of inherent or induced anisotropy as well as the behaviour of soils subjected to cyclic loading.