A Transversely Isotropic Cosserat Continuum Model and Its Numerical Application

A transversely isotropic Cosserat continuum model is developed based on the Cosserat continuum theory and transversely isotropic elastic theory in three-dimensional condition. The finite element program based on this model is developed to analyze the stress and deformation of transversely isotropic layered soils subjected to a loading on an elastic rectangular plate. It illustrates that the transversely isotropic model can reflect the soil's property more realistically than the isotropic one in some practical engineering, and that the proposed transversely isotropic Cosserat continuum model can describe micro-scale mechanical property of soils and simulate the mechanical behavior of the transversely isotropic soils effectively.