A nonlinear multi-field coupled model for soils

A nonlinear multi-field coupled model for multi-constituent three-phase soils is derived by using the hybrid mixture theory. The balance equations with three levels (constituents, phases and the whole mixture soil) are set up under the assumption that soil is composed of multi-constituent elastic-plastic solid skeleton (which is different from the linearization method) and viscous liquid and ideal gas. With reasonable constitutive assumptions in such restrictive conditions as the principles of determinism, equipresence, material frame-indifference and the compatible principle in continuum mechanics, a theoretical framework of constitutive relations modeling three-phase soil in both non-equilibrium and equilibrium states is established, thus the closed field equations are formed. In the theoretical framework, the concept of effective generalized thermodynamic forces is introduced, and the nonlinear coupling constitutive relations between generalized dissipation forces and generalized flows within the system at nonequilibrium state are also presented. On such a basis, four special coupling relations, i.e., solid thermal elastic-plastic constitutive relation, liquid visco-elastic-plastic constitutive relation, the generalized Fourier’s law, and the generalized Darcy’s law are put forward. The generalized or nonlinear results mentioned above can degenerate into the linear coupling results given by Bennethum and Singh. Based on a specific dissipation function, the concrete form of generalized Darcy’s law is deduced, which may degenerate into the traditional form of Darcy’s law by neglecting the influence of skeleton deformation and temperature. Without considering temperature and other coupling effects, the nonlinear coupled model in this paper can degenerate into a soil elastic-plastic constitutive model.