The research carries out a short feasibility study of a new approach, which, if proven, would provide a simplified method for the design of highways, bridges, railways, dams, and structures. The theory is based on the following new concepts: the material does not possess memory; plastic moduli are selected to produce a set of yield surfaces; inelastic deformation occurs immediately when a point in stress space moves outward from the yield surface; and instabilities are predicted for important loading paths which are dependent on the initial state of stress. This approach shows a promise of providing a consistent model for the response of sand and other granular materials and would realistically predict the observed behavior.
