ABSTRACT
Experimental and numerical evidences suggest that in Granular Materials, the steady-state shearing failure (Critical State) cannot be solely defined by a relationship between void ratio and stress but is further influenced by the Grain Size Distribution (GSD) and its evolution. Phenomena as Grain Crushing and Erosion are therefore considered responsible for the observed non-uniqueness of the Critical State. (Cheng, Bolton, & Nakata 2005, Lade, Yamamuro, & Bopp 1996, Mooney, Finno, & Viggiani 1998, Mooney, Finno, & Viggiani 1998, Finno & Rechenmacher 2003).
