Numerical Simulation of Shear Band Formation with a Polar Hypoplastic Constitutive Model

Abstract Recently, a hypoplastic constitutive model based on non-linear tensorial functions was proposed by Wu and Bauer [1] for granular materials. The model covers a broad range of stress level and initial density and is applicable for both initial deformation and fully developed plastic flow. In the present paper, the hypoplastic constitutive model is implemented in a finite element code to investigate the shear band formation in granular materials during biaxial compression tests. Emphasis is placed on the effect of the stress level and of the initial density on shear banding. Initiation of shear bands is triggered by an imperfection in the initial material properties. Comparison between the numerical calculations and the experimental results shows satisfying agreement. The advantages of the hypoplastic approach are outlined.