Bounding surface plasticity model for jointed soft rocks considering overconsolidation and structural decay

This study investigates the strength and stress-strain relationship of jointed soft rocks using undrained triaxial compression testing. A bounding surface plasticity model considering overconsolidation and structural decay is proposed for jointed soft rocks. Specifically, a bounding surface concept is introduced for overconsolidation. A new structural decay formulation is derived based on unified strength theory to model the effect of a joint plane on the structural strength. A new hardening law considering structural decay is derived and verified by triaxial compression testing. Finally, the model applicability is demonstrated by triaxial compression testing on jointed soft rocks.