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Modified Cam-Clay Model (MCC)

The MCC model was originally developed for triaxial load conditions. Experimental measurements on soft clays provided the background for the development of the constitutive model expressing the variation of void ratio e (volumetric strain ε_v) as a function of the logarithm of the effective mean stress σ_m^eff, as evident from the following Figure. Both graphs are related as follows:

Material response during isotropic consolidation (constitutive model)

The graph consists of a normal consolidation line (NCL) and a set of swelling lines. On the first load the virgin soil moves down the NCL. Next, suppose that the soil was consolidated to a certain level of stress, which is termed the preconsolidation pressure p_c, and subsequently unloaded up the current swelling line. Then, upon reloading the soil initially moves down the swelling line until reaching the stress state given by the parameter p_c, which existed prior to the unloading.  At this point the soil begins to move again down the normal consolidation line (primary loading - compression line).

Parameters κ and λ can be estimated from the following expressions:

These parameters follow from a simple oedometric test.

The yield surface is smooth without the possibility of evolution of tensile stresses. The MCC model allows, unlike the first group of models, a direct modeling of strain hardening or softening for normally consolidated or overconsolidated soils, a nonlinear dependence of the volumetric strain on the effective mean stress and limit conditions of ideal plasticity. When using the MCC model the soil loaded in shear can be plastically deformed without collapse (points 1,2 for hardening, point 2 for softening) until reaching the critical state (points 3 and 2 for hardening and softening, respectively). The soil deforms further in shear under the assumption of ideal plasticity without the change of e and σ_m^eff. Upon unloading, a linear response of soil is assumed.

Projection of yield function into meridial and deviatoric planes

Evolution of the yield surface (hardening/softening) is driven by the current preconsolidation pressure p_c:

Apart from parameters κ and λ, the self-weight and the Poisson's ratio, the MCC model requires specifying the following three parameters:

Reliable initialization of the model is described in section "Numerical implementation of MCC and GCC models".

The slope of the critical state line M_cs can be determined from the expression:

where φ_cv is the angle of internal friction for constant volume corresponding to the critical state.