Optimization routine for identification of model parameters in soil plasticity (Q2729121)

The authors consider mathematical aspects and practical implementation of an optimization routine developed for the identification of model parameters in soil plasticity. The constitutive laws are formulated as incremental tangential relations for drained or undrained behaviour of the soil. The choice of control variable is restricted to principal stresses and/or principal strains, i.e. no shear components are included. The procedure of optimization consists of two parts, the formulation of an objective function measuring the difference between theoretical and experimental results, and the selection of optimization strategy enabling the search for the minimum of this function. Two different search strategies, one based on Rosenbrock's method and the other using simplex method, are included in the optimization routine.