Multiphase model for inclusion-reinforced geostructures: Application to rock-bolted tunnels and piled raft foundations

A multiphase model is proposed to describe the mechanical behaviour of geomaterials reinforced by linear inclusions. This macroscopic approach considers the reinforced soil or rock mass as the superposition of continuous media. Equations of motion and constitutive laws of the model are first derived. Its implementation in a finite element computer code is then detailed. A modified implicit algorithm for elastoplastic problems is proposed. The model and its implementation are fully validated for rock‐bolted tunnels (comparison with scale model experiments) and piled raft foundations (comparison with the classical ‘hybrid method’). The Messeturm case history is finally presented to assess the handiness of the approach for real structures. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.