Abstract: Strain localization and shear band formation in the failure process of strain softening materials is a key problem commonly interested in the fields of both geomechanics and solid mechanics, but still remaining unresolved regardless of long term efforts of many researchers. In this paper, based on the concept of generalized suction proposed recently by the author for structured soils, a theory named as generalized pore pressure model is presented which describes the softening process as some thing like the pore pressure generation in the saturated soils. According to this theory, the process of strain localization can be simulated by the conventional finite element procedure, thus offering the possibility of numerical modeling of the progressive failure in the geotechnical engineering. An example is given to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed theory.