ABSTRACT
The Material Point Method (MPM) for solid mechanics was first proposed by Sulsky and co-workers in the 1990s. Since then it has been developing a growing band of followers not least because of its ability to handle large deformation problems with ease. This feature has more recently come to the notice of geotechnical researchers who have plenty of problems to solve involving large deformations. It is clear from recent publications, however, that many geotechnical researchers have found difficulties with the use of the MPM in a number of areas. In this paper we visit three of these problem areas and highlight solutions we have developed. It is to be hoped that this can remove some of the roadblocks to the use and further development of the MPM for geotechnical problems in future.
