5. Summary of results

This test case offers satisfactory results compared to the reference results, less than \(\text{0.06\%}\) for the first two loading cases, and more important for the third, which is explained by a relatively low stress level (the end of the tensile hardening curve is reached).

The landfill test (fourth load) makes it possible to verify the non-regression of the code.

The number of iterations is relatively large at the first calculation step, of the order of 13, then decreases to 7, 4 and 1, which is explained by the passage of the plastic threshold at the first calculation step, to reach a nearly linear behavior later (linear post-peak curves).

A larger number of iterations is also obtained at step 31 (start of the fourth loading case), then a number of iterations decreasing to 1, due to the transition to discharge, with a change in behavior, followed by a virtually linear behavior thereafter (linear post-peak curves).