A constitutive model for the uplift behavior of anchors in cohesionless soils

A series of triaxial tests has been performed to establish the stress‐strain curves for I‐Lan sand and Taipei silty sand. A constitutive model for the continuous strain hardening‐softening and volumetric dilatancy of these two soils is proposed, based on the results of triaxial tests. Using this model, a numerical program is then established, with FLAC software, to analyze the uplift behavior of model anchors in sand and field anchors in silty soil. It was found from triaxial tests, that the peak friction angle increases with relative density of soil and decreases with confining pressure. A non‐associated flow rule between plastic strain increment and stress tensor was found. As accumulative plastic strain, relative density and confining pressure were changed, the mobilized friction angle and mobilized dilatancy angle also changed. All parameters needed for the proposed model can be expressed as functions of relative density and confining pressure. This model can calculate the stress‐ strain curves of cohesionless soils determined from triaxial tests accurately. The load‐displacement behaviors determined from anchor tests are compared with those calculated from this numerical program, the numerical results are in good agreement with the test results not only for model anchors in sand but also for different types of field anchors in silty soil.