Inverse-analysis of Compressibility Parameters for Fine-grained Soils in GTA

The Finite Element Method (FEM) has been routinely used in geotechnical engineering. However, its realistic simulation ofsoil behavior depends on the accurate model input parameters. This study aims to determine through an inverse analysis on the compressibility of fine-grained soils in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) according to the Hardening Soil Model (HSM). A series of oedometer test results is collected from a local transit project and back analyzed by employing UCODE, auniversal inversemodeling tool,which can adjust model parametersto fit the simulated results with the test values. First, a sensitivity analysis is performed to select the most critical model parameters to simplify the problem. Second, the selected HSM parameters are calibrated by combining UCODE with geotechnical FEM software, PLAXIS. Third, a statistical analysis is conducted on the compressibility parameters according to the soil types. In the end, a series of correlation formulas are derived to estimate the compressibility properties from soil indices.