Experimental evidence indicates that the shear localisation acts as a precursor to the failure in biaxial compression tests of granular materials. Once formed they are persistent and lead to progressive failure of most geotechnical structures. It is generally accepted that the primary mode of deformation within these shear bands is simple shear which is accompanied by rotation of principal axes. Hence, the conventional plasticity theories based on the assumption of coaxility is not sufficient to describe the behaviour within those shear bands. This paper highlights the influence of the non-coaxility on the initiation and orientation of shear bands in both drained and undrained sand. The con-coaxial plasticity theory is integrated into a critical state constitutive model enriched with the state parameter concept. The model is capable of taking account of the variation of lode angle under plane strain condition. Numerical plane strain biaxial compression tests are conducted to observe the effect of non-coaxility on shear localisation. Bifurcation criteria based on the acoustic tensor are checked to predict the onset and inclination of the shear band. Predictions from the non-coaxial model are compared with those of coaxial model. The influence of the initial void ratio for the formation of shear bands is explored. Results are compared qualitatively with experimental observations.
Micro Shear Bands: Precursor for Strain Localization in Sheared Granular Materials