Micromechanical Modelling of Granular Media

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1993

Abstract

The problem of modelling the mechanical response of a granular medium based on the elastic properties of its particles is addressed through a combination of analytical, numerical and experimental techniques. The foundation of this approach is the numerical solution to the Hertz-Mindlin problem of the contact of two elastic, rough spheres subjected to oblique compression. This solution is used as a subroutine in a Nonlinear Discrete Element Method simulation which calculates the interactions between particles, including geometric rearrangement and formation of new contacts. A series of hollow cylinder cyclic triaxial laboratory experiments are performed in which torsional and axial loads are applied to glass bead specimens in an MTS servohydraulic device under computer control. These experiments determine the shape of the initial and subsequent yield loci of the material, as well as the hardening parameters and type of flow rule. It is found that the yield surfaces distort in the direction of loading in a manner analogous to that of metals. Three-dimensional simulations performed along similar stress paths to the experiments, confirm the experimental results and provide a micromechanical interpretation of the macroscopic response. Finally, a macromechanical (continuum) plasticity model is presented which combines some of the above findings and predicts the behavior of a granular medium based on its initial macroscopic porosity and the mechanical properties of its particles. © 1993, Walter de Gruyter. All rights reserved.

Identifier

84951493931 (Scopus)

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1515/JMBM.1993.4.2.149

e-ISSN

21910243

ISSN

03348938

First Page

149

Last Page

158

Issue

2

Volume

4

Fund Ref

Air Force Office of Scientific Research

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