Scaled memory model for cyclic behavior of soils

A constitutive model, based on the novel concept of scaled memory (SM), is presented to describe the hysteretic stress-strain response curves of soils during one-dimensional loadings. SM transforms the nonlinear plastic modulus into a piecewise-linear distribution, and then uses this simplified distribution for generating the plastic modulus during cyclic loadings. SM generalizes the models of Ramberg-Osgood and HardinDrnevich, and is simpler than, but as capable as, multiple yield surface plasticity. We extend SM to anisotropic behavior, and present a technique to calibrate the material constants from laboratory data. The SM theory, although applicable to six-dimensional stresses, is unfolded only in one dimension in this paper. Its usefulness is illustrated by simulating several cyclic stress-strain responses for clays and sands.