Interfacial cohesive zone model and progressive failure of soil-structure interface

The concept of soil-structure interface, the composition of interface-displacement and the failure forms of interface are discussed first, and then an analysis method, in which the slippage of interface and the tension fracture deformations are described by interfacial cohesive zone model and the basic deformations of interface are described by non-interface elements, is proposed. Based on the cohesive zone model (CZM), the contact elements of zero thickness are established to avoid the difficulty of determining the thickness of interface. After the numerical fulfilling of CZM in the frame of enhanced finite element method (FEM⁺⁺), the numerical simulation of direct shear tests is carried out to reveal the progressive failure process of soil-structure interface, and the difference between interface model and experimental shear stress-displacement curve is illustrated. The selection of parameters of CZM is also expounded.