Abstract
Anisotropic characteristics of yield curves of sand in the low and high stress levels were investigated by a series of triaxial drained tests with various stress paths, in particular reference to the stress levels and proportional loading paths. The main results were summarized as follows : 1) The overall shapes of yield curves in the low and high stress levels are roughly similar and the shapes can be approximated by ellipses which are not symmetrical about the stress path during consolidation. 2) The relationship between the tangent slopes of yield curves and stress ratios can be expressed as a unique function of stress ratio, irrespective of the proportional loading path history. 3) Based on the observed yield characteristics, a useful yield function is presented for an anisotropically consolidated sand.
