Numerical simulation of progressive shear localization and scale effect in cohesionless soil media

•A multi-yield surface modeling of soil was applied to localization problems of foundation.•The model has numerical consistency with the crack analysis of reinforced concrete.•The paper shows how the post-peak softening assumption on the element size may yield acceptable solutions.•The mesh size independency of the analysis is checked.

Objective and methodsA multi-yield surface model of the total strain formulation, which takes into account the confinement dependency and has numerical consistency with the crack analysis of reinforced concrete, is presented to simulate the progressive failure and the shear band formation in a cohesionless soil media.ResultsFor experimental verification, a comparison of the numerical analysis results with the reality is carried out in view of the progressive failure. The scale effect on the nominal strength is discussed with regard to the shear localization.ConclusionIt is shown that by means of the proposed concept the scale effect of the static bearing capacity of foundation can be well simulated.