Effect of flow rules and elastic strains on pressuremeter test results in dense sand

Simple numerical methods that allow to obtain stress and strain paths in sand during self-boring pressuremeter tests are presented in this paper. The material is considered to undergo deformation in drained and plane-strain conditions. The flow rules of Rowe, Cambridge-type (Cam clay and Nova) model, and the sawtooth model are used in the analysis. Elastic strains are also considered in relation with the flow rule of Rowe. The proposed approach has been evaluated using a reference pressuremeter test performed on Ticino sand in a calibration chamber. The results indicate that the stress-strain-volume change responses of the sand predicted by the various models are quite similar, with and without consideration of the elastic strain components.