Acta Geotechnica最新文献

{"title":"Deep multistrutted excavation-induced soil stress relief and modulus attenuation behind retaining wall considering soil arching effect","authors":"Kaiwen Yang,&nbsp;Yun Chen,&nbsp;Zhuofeng Li,&nbsp;Yunmin Chen","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02976-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02976-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Soil arching that is generated and develops behind the retaining wall in a multistrutted excavation is a soil stress transfer process related to the relative movement between the well-retained soil mass and the inward-moved soil mass. Excavation induces stress release, which becomes highly complex under the arching effect, in the soil behind the wall. Determining such soil stress redistribution requires relatively higher computational capabilities. In this paper, a stress modulus attenuation model for soils behind flexible retaining walls in soft soil regions considering the soil arching effect is developed based on multiple field case studies of deep excavations. The proposed model features low computational cost, making it highly practical for engineering applications. Three detailed case studies are presented, where the proposed model is validated using the field-measured data or numerical result including variations in earth pressure acting on the retaining wall and changes in shear wave velocity of the retained soil. This study improves the understanding of soil stress redistribution induced by soil arching during excavation, and the proposed model can assist in optimizing the design of retaining structures and rapidly assessing the impact of excavations on the surrounding environment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 7","pages":"3993 - 4031"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Three-dimensional stability analysis of slurry trench in frictional-cohesive soil using the upper bound perturbation method","authors":"Tingzhen Tan,&nbsp;Maosong Huang,&nbsp;Zhenhao Shi","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02948-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02948-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study systematically investigates the stability of slurry trenches in single-layered frictional-cohesive soils. A perturbation-based method employing three-dimensional rigid translational moving elements is integrated with the shear strength reduction technique to evaluate trench stability. The proposed approach is validated through comparisons with the shear strength reduction finite element method (SSRFEM) in terms of safety factors and corresponding failure mechanisms. An actual engineering case is further analyzed to demonstrate the applicability of the method. Parametric analyses reveal that the safety factor is a nonlinear function of the trench length-to-depth ratio, a near-linear function of soil strength parameters, and a concave-up function of the unit weight ratio. Special three-dimensional failure modes, including partial-depth and bidirectional mechanisms, are observed in narrow trenches under specific soil conditions. Finally, a design equation is proposed to directly estimate the safety factor without iterative computation, achieving excellent predictive accuracy with an <i>R</i>2 exceeding 99.3%.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 8","pages":"4585 - 4606"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149163056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Micro-mechanical interpretation on variation of liquefaction resistance of granular materials with different levels of cyclic pre-shearing","authors":"Min Deng,&nbsp;Guojun Liu,&nbsp;Yi Pik Cheng,&nbsp;Yingbin Zhang,&nbsp;Lianheng Zhao,&nbsp;Noriyuki Yasufuku","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02966-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02966-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The cyclic resistance of granular materials could be influenced by prior cyclic loading, even in the absence of significant changes in void ratio. Most of the previous studies have qualitatively attributed this phenomenon to particle structure rearrangement. This study provides a comprehensive investigation through numerical simulations based on the discrete element method (DEM). A loading scheme of “first cyclic loading–reconsolidation–second cyclic loading” was applied in triaxial test simulations with a stress-controlled manner achieved by an adaptive control algorithm. The first series of cyclic loading was paused at each complete cycle when the deviatoric stress returned back to zero from the extension side. Its effects on liquefaction resistance during the second series of cyclic loading were examined. The simulation results align well with previous experimental findings that the liquefaction resistance initially increases and then decreases with more loading cycles applied during the first cyclic loading, while reconsolidation results in small void ratio reductions for all pre-sheared samples. Conventional parameters, such as the non-rattler coordination number, sliding fraction, and degree of anisotropies, do not consistently correlate with changes in liquefaction resistance. However, the deviatoric tangential contact force anisotropy and friction mobilization index for sticking contacts exhibit a strong relationship with liquefaction resistance variation. The reduction in liquefaction resistance due to high-level cyclic pre-shearing is associated with a significant retention of contacts that are prone to slide (with friction mobilization index near 1.0). Weak contacts are the primary contributors to these unrecoverable contacts, whereas strong contacts remain unaffected by cyclic pre-shearing in terms of the friction mobilization index distribution. These findings highlight the critical role of the sliding potential of sticking contacts in liquefaction analysis, particularly in the context of undrained cyclic pre-shearing history.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 8","pages":"4549 - 4572"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149162978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A hypoplastic model for lunar regolith based on Chang’E-5 lunar sample","authors":"Siyuan Wang,&nbsp;Mingjing Jiang,&nbsp;Jun Liu","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02959-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02959-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>With the rapid development of lunar exploration projects, the utilization of in-situ lunar resources and the establishment of lunar bases have garnered significant global attention. However, the exploitation and utilization of lunar resources will encounter various engineering and geological challenges. Therefore, it is urgent and essential to develop a constitutive model for lunar soil that can accurately predict the mechanical behavior of lunar regolith. Addressing the scarcity of lunar soil and the difficulty of replicating the lunar environment, this study employs a three-dimensional Discrete Element Method (DEM) model, incorporating realistic particle geometries from the Chang’E-5 (CE-5) mission, to investigate the mechanical properties of lunar regolith. Subsequently, triaxial compression tests were simulated with DEM to explore the mechanical properties of lunar regolith with varying porosity under both lunar and terrestrial conditions. A new shape phase parameter was proposed to quantify the influence of particle morphology. The hypoplastic constitutive framework was conceptually extended by introducing apparent cohesion through a stress tensor transformation. Based on this extension, a novel constitutive model was developed. Comparisons between model predictions and simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model accurately captures the mechanical behavior of numerical lunar soil samples.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 8","pages":"5323 - 5340"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149163049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An innovative test data processing approach for continuous characterizing plastic strain increment direction of sand","authors":"Dechun Lu,&nbsp;Zehua Li,&nbsp;Guosheng Wang,&nbsp;Xiuli Du","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02988-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02988-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, an innovative experimental methodology for determining the plastic strain increment direction of sand is proposed. A high-precision fitting function is constructed to reconstruct the discrete plastic strain path data points into a continuously differentiable smooth curve, whose gradient direction precisely characterizes the plastic strain increment direction. Complementing this approach, a matching procedure of continuously calculating elastic strain is developed to weed out the elastic constituents from the collected total strain. Drained conventional triaxial compression tests are performed on Fujian standard sand specimens, and the void ratio and the stress state-dependence of the macroscopic mechanical behavior is systematically revealed. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated through the comparison with conventional finite difference method in characterizing plastic strain increment direction. The experimental data are input into the proposed method to construct the continuous evolutionary trajectories of first counterclockwise followed by clockwise reorientation for the plastic strain increment direction throughout loading. Further analysis elucidates the regulatory mechanisms of the void ratio and the stress state on the plastic strain increment direction, where reduced void ratio amplifies leftward deviation of the direction vector, whereas elevated confining pressure induces more rightward deflection. This research resolves the mismatch issue between the discrete test data and the theoretical differential nature of the plastic strain increment direction, providing a robust theoretical foundation and experimental validation for constitutive modeling of sand.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 8","pages":"4573 - 4584"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149163055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A multi-fidelity data-driven constitutive modeling framework via physics encoding and transfer learning: application to geotechnical engineering problems","authors":"Jingzhou Wang,&nbsp;Gang Ma,&nbsp;Tongming Qu,&nbsp;Daren Zhang,&nbsp;Zhihan He,&nbsp;Wei Zhou,&nbsp;Xiaolin Chang","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02971-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02971-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as an increasingly prevalent approach for the constitutive modeling of geomaterials. However, it encounters challenges in generalization when data are scarce, which severely restricts its applications, especially in complex engineering. This research develops a novel data-driven constitutive modeling framework that effectively leverages multi-fidelity data and incorporates two core technologies: (1) encoding the generalized plasticity theory in neural network architectures to develop models with strong generalization capabilities using large amounts of low-fidelity data; (2) implementing the infusion of scarce, high-fidelity experimental data based on transfer learning to enhance prediction accuracy. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis demonstrates the impact of each component in this data-driven model on capturing material strength and deformation features, which guides the integration strategy of high-fidelity physical experimental data. Validation across various stress paths verifies the model’s accuracy and robustness. The engineering feasibility of the framework has been demonstrated through finite element method (FEM) simulations of a concrete face rockfill dam (CFRD), highlighting its ability to address complex geotechnical engineering problems and accurately reproduce stress–strain distributions. This study offers a feasible approach to developing high-fidelity, data-driven constitutive models, even in the context of sparse data.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 7","pages":"4101 - 4122"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Appraisal of the HySand_base constitutive model against the Karlsruhe fine sand database","authors":"Luc E. J. Simonin,&nbsp;Guy T. Houlsby,&nbsp;Miad Saberi,&nbsp;Byron W. Byrne","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02981-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02981-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper addresses the performance of HySand_base, a constitutive model for sand in the hyperplasticity framework, for a wide range of triaxial tests. Quantitative and qualitative comparisons between test data and simulation results are drawn for the Karlsruhe fine sand database developed by Wichtmann and Triantafyllidis (Acta Geotech 11:739–761, 960 10.1007/s11440-015-0402-z, 2016a; Acta Geotech 11:763–774, 10.1007/s11440-015-0412-x, 2016b). HySand_base is also evaluated against common limitations of constitutive models for sand identified by Duque <i>et al.</i> (Acta Geotech 17:2235–2257. 10.1007/s11440-021-01418-z, 2022). The calibration of the model and the procedures for initialisation and implementing test simulations are explained, using the example of the Karlsruhe fine sand. HySand_base performs well for a variety of conditions: for drained and undrained tests, monotonic and cyclic tests, virgin or preloaded tests, stress or strain controlled. It performs particularly well when compared across a range of densities, capturing accurately the rate at which pore pressure initially builds-up in undrained tests, and the number of cycles to liquefaction for stress and strain-controlled tests.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 7","pages":"4033 - 4060"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drying of partially saturated granular materials: a combined study using X-ray tomography and lattice Boltzmann modeling","authors":"Shaohan Wang,&nbsp;Ji-Peng Wang,&nbsp;Jiyuan Luan,&nbsp;Haichao Shang,&nbsp;Mengchen Li,&nbsp;Shangqi Ge,&nbsp;Gioacchino Viggiani","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02990-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02990-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The wide distribution range and the high sensitivity to seasonal changes highlight the importance of hydro-mechanics of partially saturated soils. The key to correctly understanding lies in recognizing the correlation between soil microstructure and the macroscopic water retention characteristics. In this study, spherical glass beads were selected as a well-controlled model material to replace natural granular soils (such as sands), to obtain clearer statistics of the contact coordination between particles and water. The spatial distribution and morphology of the three phases (solid, water, and air) in a partially saturated granular material at five key suction states were obtained through X-ray tomography performed during drying, providing insights into the dynamic evolution of wetting connectivity and local particle environment. A three-dimensional simulation domain was then constructed from a cubic subvolume in the reconstructed tomographic image corresponding to the third suction level. The topological interfacial distribution during the drying process was reproduced through single-component multiphase Shan–Chen lattice Boltzmann modeling (SC-LBM). Compared to the experiments, LBM enables the monitoring of liquid migration of partially saturated materials during the drying process (from full saturation to complete dryness) at a lower cost. Based on the representative elementary volumes, a wide distribution of the micro-interfacial area was obtained, and the Bishop effective stress parameter was further calculated. These findings offer valuable insights for future investigations of partially saturated materials, particularly in capturing microscopic characteristics (such as fluid distribution, cluster coordination number, and interfacial area) and deriving macroscopic strength indicators (such as cohesive strength and the Bishop effective stress parameter).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 8","pages":"4525 - 4547"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149163053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimation of static loading curve from dynamic penetration test through soil-cone interaction model: application in sands","authors":"Caroline Forestti Oliveira,&nbsp;Miguel Angel Benz-Navarrete,&nbsp;Pierre Breul,&nbsp;Bastien Chevalier,&nbsp;Quoc Anh Tran","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02939-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02939-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Dynamic cone penetration tests provide a unique parameter associated to soil failure for which interpretation remains often empirical. Assessing information on soil deformability from cone penetration tests has been a challenge for engineers. A newer penetration technique, dynamic cone loading test (DCLT), integrates instrumentation and wave analysis enabling to assess soil stress-displacement curve during penetration (DCLT curve). Currently, a simple Smith-based model is applied to interpret DCLT curve which does not capture nonlinear soil response and takes unusual parameters as input. This paper presents an alternative methodology for interpreting DCLT curve, based on a nonlinear soil-cone interaction model. Two approaches (Unloading Point Method and Maximum Stress Point Method) are applied to determine ultimate soil resistance injected in the proposed interaction model. Apart from providing better description of soil reaction, this interpretation methodology of soil penetration allows to estimate static loading curve from DCLT data and to derive a soil modulus. To evaluate results obtained from the methodology, a series of dynamic and static loading tests were performed in samples of Hostun and Fontainebleau sands reconstructed at different densities. Results showed that static curve derived from DCLT were comparable with those obtained experimentally. Maximum point method seems more well-adapted for dense sands whereas unloading point method provides better agreement to static curves for medium dense sands. In addition, soil modulus determined from the interpretation of DCLT is within expected interval of modulus reported for the same sands.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 7","pages":"4311 - 4328"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11440-026-02939-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of the engineering properties of deep-sea sediments in the western Pacific polymetallic nodule region","authors":"Na Zhu,&nbsp;Zhihan Fan,&nbsp;Xingsen Guo,&nbsp;Yonggang Jia,&nbsp;Xianming Zhu,&nbsp;Xiaolei Liu,&nbsp;Xuefa Shi,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Liu","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02952-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02952-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Investigation of the engineering properties of sediments in polymetallic nodule regions is essential for the efficient and sustainable extraction of these resources. In this study, both in situ and laboratory tests were systematically conducted to evaluate the mechanical and physical properties, mineral composition, and microstructure of sediments collected from the western Pacific polymetallic nodule region. In situ tests indicated that sediments within the upper 120 cm exhibit extremely low undrained shear strength (&lt; 16 kPa) and pronounced structural sensitivity, with over 60% strength loss occurring after the initial loading cycles and residual strength decreasing to 20–30% of the intact state. Laboratory tests further revealed strong vertical heterogeneity and the widespread occurrence of weak interlayers associated with elevated water content, high void ratio, and increased permeability. Microstructural observations showed that abundant biogenic debris and flocculated clay aggregates form a metastable skeletal framework with large intergranular pores, rendering the sediments highly susceptible to disturbance. The presence of polymetallic nodules contributes to biological accumulation and microstructural heterogeneity, thus promoting the formation of soft interlayers with reduced mechanical strength. The findings of this study provide the necessary sediment engineering characteristic parameters for deep-sea mining engineering applications and offer a deeper understanding of the sediment characteristics in the polymetallic nodule region.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 7","pages":"4397 - 4420"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}