Work

ABAQUS Subroutine-Based Implementation of a Fractional Consolidation Model for Saturated Soft Soils

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This paper presents a finite element implementation of a fractional rheological consolidation model in ABQUS, in which the fractional Merchant model governs the mechanical behavior of the soil skeleton, and the water flow is controlled by the fractional Darcy’s law. The implementation generally involves two main parts: subroutine-based fractional constitutive models’ development and their coupling. Considering the formal similarity between the energy equation and the mass equation, the fractional Darcy’s law was implemented using the UMATHT subroutine. The fractional Merchant model was then realized through the UMAT subroutine. Both subroutines were individually verified and then successfully coupled. The coupling was achieved by modifying the stress update scheme based on Biot’s poroelastic theory and the effective stress principle in UMAT, enabling a finite element analysis of the fractional consolidation model. Finally, the model was applied to simulate the consolidation behavior of a multi-layered foundation. The proposed approach may serve as a reference for the finite element implementation of consolidation models incorporating a fractional seepage model in ABAQUS.

Source: Fractal and Fractional

DOI: 10.3390/fractalfract9080542

Authors: Tao Zeng, Tao Feng, Yansong Wang

Institutions: Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Sinopec (China)

Language: English

Topic: Soil, Finite Element Methods

Subfield: Mechanics of Materials

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,258

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Education Department of Shaanxi Province