Reply to Discussion on 'On the use of generalised effective stress in the constitutive modelling of unsaturated soils' [Computers and Geotechnics 36 (2009) 20-23]

摘要

The discussion by Yan and co authors is not exposing valid arguments against the main statements of the reference paper [2]. However, it provides the opportunity to clarify further the implications of the use of effective stress for unsaturated soils.rnThe plastic changes need to be expressed either in terms of deformation, saturation or both. A complete constitutive model for unsaturated soils should include a sub-model for the mechanical stress-strain behaviour, and a sub-model for the retention behaviour, each of which owning its own yield limit. All the considerations about the capillary hysteresis are linked to the water retention model.rnAs far as the mechanical behaviour is concerned, the definition of a mechanical effective stress is necessary and sufficient to define the current state of stress within the medium.