Layered construction process with the material point method

Abstract

This paper presents a novel procedure to simulate layered construction processes with the material point method (MPM), a method suitable for modelling large deformations. For the first time, the paper provides the MPM with the capability of modelling the behaviour of earth structures from their construction until the eventual post-failure behaviour in an integrated manner without requiring, as currently done, the use of other numerical tools for the construction simulation. In addition, the proposed methodology includes the option of simulating the engineering practice of compensating settlements that occurred during construction, to match the designed geometry. This option, typically neglected in alternative numerical methods, is implemented by filling the computational elements of the layers that become empty by adding new material points.

The construction process proposed and its numerical implementation into an open-source code are described in detail. The validation is carried out by modelling an elastic oedometric column with varying number of layers and by comparing it with analytical solutions and finite element-based results. The construction of a soil embankment in dry, saturated, and partially saturated conditions is also simulated. It shows the capability of the method to capture the excess pore water pressures that may develop.