Large Deformation Numerical Analysis of Displacement-Controlled Cylindrical Cavity Expansion under Anisotropic Initial Stress

Abstract

This paper proposes an empirical solution to calculate the average ultimate cavity wall pressure (UCWP) of cavity expansion in undrained clay under anisotropic stress through large deformation finite element analysis using a coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian technique. The soil around the cylindrical cavity is assumed to behave as the elastic–perfectly plastic material, as the description of Tresca yield criterion. The parametric study is conducted considering the influence of shear modulus, shear strength, initial stress, and anisotropy coefficient. Then an empirical equation of the average UCWP is proposed. This empirical solution and relevant analysis complement the study of cylindrical cavity expansion and reveal the mechanism of the cavity expansion under anisotropic stress.