Cavity expansion in cemented materials: structure degradation effects

A numerical solution of a cylindrical cavity expansion problem is presented herein, which is formulated within the framework of non-associated plasticity. The work extends the solution proposed by Mántaras & Schnaid in a companion paper in which a drained analysis has been developed based on postulates embedded on Rowe's stress dilatancy theory. This new formulation aims at demonstrating the significance of structure degradation during shear for a bonded cohesive-frictional material. The proposed solution makes it possible to derive the continuous variations of strains, stresses and volume changes produced around an expanding cavity. The significance of the method is demonstrated by a parametric study designed to highlight the influence of strength reduction during shear on cavity expansion analysis.