The paper reports on experimental and theoretical studies conducted on a very dense gravel. The laboratory experiments were carried out in a large triaxial cell with very accurate measurements of both forces and displacements, and allowed to spot out some peculiar features of stress-strain response of granular soils at low and intermediate strain levels, under both monotonic and cyclic loads. By scaling the elastic strain component using a simple hypoelastic model, plastic strains were used to get some insight into the role of current stress level, previous stress history and soil density on the hardening and stress-dilatancy behaviour of gravels. In the framework of Critical State Soil Mechanics, the experimental results are finally interpreted to gain new information on kinematic hardening upon cyclic loading.
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