Simple Procedure for Determining Cap‐Plasticity‐Model Parameters

The aim of the work described in this paper is to provide a practical procedure for determining the parameters of the cap plasticity model, which is familiar to geotechnical engineers. To this end, a simple procedure relating the cap‐model parameters to those data commonly available from soil tests is proposed. Extensive numerical studies of the behavior and design of the problems frequently encountered in practice are made using a general‐purpose finite element analysis program. These studies confirm the suitability of the proposed procedure and the applicability of the well‐known cap plasticity model to geotechnical engineering problems in general, and embankment problems in particular. The proposed procedure is developed and refined to achieve both simplicity in use and realistic representation of actual condition in practice. It is, therefore, recommended for general use.