Modeling of progressive failure in geotechnical structures subjected to water infiltration

The primary focus here is on modeling of fracture propagation in soils with apparent cohesion subjected to a period of intense rainfall. In this case, a micromechanically-based description represents an overwhelming task due to a very complex system of mineralogical and chemical factors. This is particularly evident at the range of irreducible saturation. Recognizing this limitation, the approach followed here is based on the framework of chemo-plasticity. The formulation incorporates an assumption that the injection of water triggers a volume change (swelling/collapse) that is coupled with a reduction in suction pressures which, in turn, results in degradation of the strength and deformation properties. The modeling of localized failure mode is based on a constitutive law formulated through volume averaging in the neighborhood of the embedded discontinuity. The latter is enhanced by employing the level set method. The governing equations are applied to examine the stability of a slope in cohesive soils, subjected to a period of intense rainfall.