In this tutorial, embankment construction and excavation on saturated soil are simulated in Abaqus.
A two-dimensional model is used to represent the ground and embankment as shell parts. Due to soil humidity, material properties such as permeability, elasticity, and Coulomb plasticity are included. A schematic of the model setup is shown below.
The Geostatic step is first applied to establish equilibrium between soil elements. After that, three soil steps are used to simulate the stages of embankment construction. A soil transient step is then applied as the first consolidation stage. Following consolidation, three excavation steps are performed, followed by another soil transient step to model consolidation after excavation.
Body forces are applied to all parts during the appropriate steps. Geostress conditions for both dry and saturated soil are considered separately, based on elevation from the model’s coordinate center.
The results include stress distribution during embankment construction and excavation, pore fluid pressure, and displacement. Additional figures show pore pressure changes during consolidation and soil settlement.
