Macroscopic yield strength of reinforced soils: From homogenization theory to a multiphase approach

This contribution presents a multiphase approach for ascertaining the macroscopic yield strength properties of soils reinforced by linear inclusions, conceived as an extended or improved homogenization procedure allowing one to capture scale and boundary effects, which may play an important role in the yield design of actual structures. The decisive element of such an extension is the introduction of a parameter characterizing the strength of the interaction between two continuous media (“phases”) representing the soil and the reinforcing inclusions, respectively. A preliminary analysis suggests that such a parameter varies in direct proportion to the inverse of a scale factor.