AN OUTLINE OF HYPOPLASTICITY

The so-called hypoelastic constitutive equations, defined by the equation T = h(T, D), are limited by the requirement that h is linear in D. Dropping this requirement and retaining positive homogeneity of the first degree in D leads to a broader class of equations which can be called hypoplastic. Such equations are appropriate to describe the anelastic behaviour of granular materials. Some properties of hypoplastic equations are discussed in this paper including the new notions of yield and bound surfaces which are given a completely different meaning than in classical elastoplasticity. Possibilities to enlarge hypoplasticity towards rate-dependence and more complex intrinsic memory of the material are pointed to.