To theoretically analyze the mechanical behaviors of rheological rate effect
the rheological model of unsaturated soil should be formulated. First
the yield surfaces of unsaturated soil are divided into LC and SI yield surfaces. Second
based on the compression creep formula of the LC yield surface
the corresponding rate of viscoplastic volumetric strain is formulated by the equivalent-time method.Combined with Barcelona yield equation and the associated flow law
the three-dimensional rheological rate equation of the LC yield surface is obtained.Differences and similarities between the LC subsequent yield equation of Gennaro-Pereira are discussed. Then
based on the suction-induced compression creep formula of SI yield surface
the corresponding viscoplatic volumetric strain rate is formulated by the equivalent-time method. Finally
the equivalent-time three-dimensional elastic viscoplastic model of unsaturated soil is built combining the rheological rate equations of LC and SI yield surfaces with elastic equation.When the rheological rate effect is ignored
LC and SI rheological yield equations can be degenerated into the corresponding plastic yield equations of Barcelona model. One-dimensional rheological behaviors are theoretically analyzed
and the theoretical predicts and the soil test data are in relatively good agreement. The numerical analysis results of rheological behaviors under three-axial loading condition show that when the same dead loading is applied by several ways
along with the duration of dead loading
the rheological volumetric strains at different ways will tend to equalise value
but the rheological shear strains will have obviously different values.