Many theoretical analyses of Soil mechanics experiments use springs. Is this consistent with the actual situation? After all, the soil elasticity is very small, and the force will also shift. Can the deformation of the spring accurately express the results?
Using springs to model soil behaviour is a simplification that has limitations, and it may not always accurately represent the actual behavior of soil. While springs can be a useful conceptual tool to understand certain aspects of soil behavior, they do have some shortcomings when it comes to representing the complexity of soil mechanics accurately. For example spring models are unable to follow the heterogeneity of the soil, as well as the time dependent behaviour. Another important limitation is due to the plasticity involved when soil deforms. Therefore, using springs in theoretical analyses can be a starting point for understanding basic soil mechanics. In many cases, engineers and researchers use more advanced constitutive models to better represent soil behavior, such as the Mohr-Coulomb model or the Modified Cam-Clay model.
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