Limit analysis in soil mechanics / Предельный анализ в механике грунтов

Limit analysis is concerned with the development of efficient methods for computing the collapse or limit load of structures in a direct manner. It is therefore of intense practical interest to practicing engineers. There have been an enormous number of applications in metal structures. Applications of limit analysis to reinforced concrete structures are more recent and are given in two recent books (W.F. Chen, ‘Plasticity in Reinforced Concrete’, McGraw-Hill, 1982; M.P. Nielsen, ‘Limit Analysis and Concrete Plasticity’, Prentice-Hall, 1984). Applications to typical stability problems in soil mechanics have been the most highly developed aspect of limit analysis so that the basic techniques and many numerical results were summarized in the 1975 book by Chen entitled ‘Limit Analysis and Soil Plasticity’, Elsevier. About 250 pages in this 1975 book were devoted to applying limit analysis to the well-known ‘classical’ stability problems in soil mechanics: bearing capacity of footings, lateral earth pressure problems, and stability of slopes. Many limit analysis solutions were presented and compared with solutions from conventional limit equilibrium analysis and slip-line solutions. In several instances, especially in bearing capacity problems, such a level of reliability and completeness was achieved that limit analysis solutions were given in comprehensive graphs and tables greatly facilitating the practical application of the results.
However, most of the applications of limit analysis to soil mechanics problems before 1975 were limited to soil statics. Further, it is a surprise to note that relatively little work was carried out by researchers and engineers before 1975 to apply limit analysis to earth pressure problems. During the last ten years, our understanding of the perfect plasticity and the associated flow rule assumption on which limit analysis is based has increased considerably and many extensions and advances have been made in applications of limit analysis to the area of soil dynamic, in particular, to earthquake-induced slope failure and landslide problems and to earthquake-induced lateral earth pressures on rigid retaining structures. This is not therefore just another book which presents limit, analysis in a new style. Instead, its purpose is in part to discuss the validity of the upper bound work (or energy) method of limit analysis in a form that can be appreciated by a practicing soil engineer, and in part to provide a compact and convenient summary of recent advances in the applications of limit analysis to earthquake-induced stability problems in soil mechanics. <...>