A finite element formulation of gradient-based plasticity for porous media with C1 interpolation of internal variables

In this paper a new finite element formulation for numerical analysis of diffused and localized failure behavior of saturated and partially saturated gradient poroplastic materials is proposed. The new finite element includes interpolation functions of first order (C-1) for the internal variables field while classical C-0 interpolation functions for the kinematic fields and pore pressure. This finite element formulation is compatible with a thermodynamically consistent gradient poroplastic theory previously proposed by the authors. In this material theory the internal variables are the only ones of non-local character. To verify the numerical efficiency of the proposed finite element formulation, the non-local gradient poroplastic constitutive theory is combined with the modified Cam Clay model for partially saturated continua. Thereby, the volumetric strain of the solid skeleton and the plastic porosity are the internal variables of the constitutive theory. The numerical results in this paper demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed finite element formulation to capture diffuse and localized failure modes of boundary value problems of porous media, depending on the acting confining pressure and on the material saturation degree. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.