ABSTRACT
The specification of strength parameters is an important task in the design work of slope stability. Usually laboratory shear tests are employed to determine the strength parameters. The specimen in the laboratory tests is intended and generally assumed to represent a single point in the in-situ soil medium. And, the strength parameters obtained are interpreted as material properties of the soil element. However, since the uniformity of stress/strain distribution within the specimen is hardly achieved during shearing, the strength parameters thus obtained cannot be essentially regarded as material properties. In this paper, the shear box test under the condition of constant volume is considered and the distribution of stress/strain within the specimen is rigorously examined through numerical simulations based on finite incremental deformation theory. The mobilization of strength is explained associated with the development of shear bands in the specimen during shear.
