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Granular Materials (granular + material)
Selected AbstractsA Coupled 3D Discrete-Finite Element Method for the Simulation of Granular Materials and Their Interaction with Solid StructuresPROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2008Christian Wellmann No abstract is available for this article. [source] Alternative Definitions of Micro,to,Macro Transitions in Particle Aggregates of Granular MaterialsPROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2003Joachim Dettmar Dipl.-Ing. An alternative approach to the modelling of the overall macroscopic response of granular materials is presented based on micro,macro transitions. A homogenized macro,continuum is considered with locally attached granular microstructures. The new developments include a consistent transfer of micro,macro transitions from continuous to particle microstructures with a new overall macro,stress definition. Secondly, a new class of boundary conditions for displacements/ rotations on prescribed boundary,frame particles is presented that yields upper and lower bounds with regard to the aggregate stiffness. Thirdly, a unified implementation of the displacement/ rotation boundary constraints by a penalty method is developed that proves to be a convenient computational tool in explicit codes. [source] Buchbesprechung: Rheometry of Pastes, Suspensions, and Granular Materials.CHEMIE-INGENIEUR-TECHNIK (CIT), Issue 6 2007Von P. Coussot. No abstract is available for this article. [source] A fluid mechanical model for granular flow in silosPROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2005Caroline Leppert Granular materials may display both solid and fluid like behaviour. For low densities and high strain rates as in avalanches or during the discharge of silos the behaviour is mainly governed by interparticle collisions. On the other hand, frictional contacts characterise the solid state which is represented within the framework of plasticity theory. A fluid like constitutive model describes granular materials when subjected to large deformations and high strain rates. It bases upon a modified viscoplastic model that is valid for both yielded and unyielded regions. The central idea is the distinction between fluid and solid regions by means of comparing actual shear stress and Coulomb yield stress. The application to the simultion of the discharge of silos shows the feasibility of the chosen method. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Implications of ideas on super-hydrophobicity for water repellent soilHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 17 2007G. McHale Abstract Water repellence is an important factor in soil erosion due to its role in inhibiting the re-establishment of vegetation after fire and due to its enhancement of run-off. Water repellence is studied across a range of diverse disciplines, such as chemistry, materials, textiles and soil and reclamation science. In recent years many basic studies of water repellence of materials have focused on the role of the sub-mm surface topography of a material in modifying the intrinsic hydrophobicity imparted by the surface chemistry to create super-hydrophobicity. In this report, we first illustrate the types of hydrophobic effects created by a suitable coupling of small scale surface topography with surface chemistry using three materials: an etched metal, a foam and a micro-fabricated pillar structure. These experiments demonstrate the general applicability of the ideas and suggest that they could apply to a granular material such as, a fine sandy soil, particularly when the grains have become coated with a hydrophobic layer. This applicability is confirmed by contact angle measurements of droplets of water on hydrophobic sand. A theoretical model describing the application of these ideas in a loose-packed, but regular, array of uniform spherical grains is then presented and discussed. When the grains are in a dry state initially, the effect of the surface is to increase the apparent water repellence as observed through the contact angle. However, when the spaces between the grains are filled with water, the effect is to provide greater wetting. To qualitatively confirm the enhancement of contact angle caused by the granular structure, model surfaces using 600 and 250 µm hydrophobic glass beads were created. On these surfaces, the contact angle of droplets of water was increased from 108° to 126° and 140° , respectively. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Numerical local analysis of relevant internal variables for constitutive modelling of granular materialsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 11 2010Yuhanis Yunus Abstract DEM simulations on spherical materials have been performed to study the behaviour of model granular materials not only under monotonous stress path such as triaxial compression or extension, but also under two-way cycling loading paths. Three reference states have been considered to characterize the behaviour of the granular material: the characteristic state, transitory state between volumetric contraction and dilation, the state of maximum resistance and the critical state. These states are regarded with respect to void ratio and anisotropy of fabric which are the two internal variables retained for the description of the internal state of the material. The characteristic state and the state at maximum resistance are clearly dependent on both levels of density and anisotropy at the beginning of a loading path. Bilinear models involving the two internal variables were designed for the characteristic state, the maximum dilatancy and the extent of the dilatancy domain for axisymetric loadings. They show that in each case the effect of density and anisotropy are different in compression and extension. The influence of anisotropy and density seems to be of the same order of magnitude. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Flat boundaries and their effect on sand testingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 8 2010G. Marketos Abstract A study of the effect of the use of flat boundaries on the stressing of a sample of an idealized granular material with no applied shear is presented. Discrete element method (DEM) data of 1D compression were analysed and the local strain field inside the sample was investigated as the sample was stressed. A best-fit strain was seen to best describe the material behaviour free from boundary effects. The individual particle displacements were probed, providing insight into the behaviour of particles adjacent to the boundaries. In addition, the porosity and force distribution inside the sample were observed, allowing for estimates of the width of a boundary region to be made. This region, non-representative of far-field material behaviour, will affect the behaviour of a granular sample in DEM or laboratory tests, with local porosity differences leading to a change in the transport properties of the sample, and force distribution changes leading to a bias in the location of grain cracking or crushing events for sufficiently high stress levels. Nevertheless, the largest effect of the boundary region was a severe underestimation of the stiffness of a granular material. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An enhanced constitutive model for crushable granular materialsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 6 2010Ali Daouadji Abstract Studies in the past have tried to reproduce the mechanical behaviour of granular materials by proposing constitutive relations based on a common assumption that model parameters and parameters describing the properties, including gradation of individual grains are inevitably linked. However successful these models have proved to be, they cannot account for the changes in granular assembly behaviour if the grains start to break during mechanical loading. This paper proposes to analyse the relation between grading change and the mechanical behaviour of granular assembly. A way to model the influence of grain breakage is to use a critical state-based model. The influence of the amount of grain breakage during loading, depending on the individual grain strength and size distribution, can be introduced into constitutive relations by means of a new parameter that controls the evolution of critical state with changes in grain size distribution. Experimental data from a calcareous sand, a quartz sand, and a rockfill material were compared with numerical results and good-quality simulations were obtained. The main consequences of grain breakage are increased compressibility and a gradual dilatancy disappearance in the granular material. The critical state concept is also enriched by considering its overall relation to the evolution of the granular material. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modelling strain localization in granular materials using micropolar theory: numerical implementation and verificationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 15 2006Khalid A. Alshibli Abstract Implementation and applications for a constitutive numerical model on F-75 silica sand, course silica sand and two sizes of glass beads compressed under plane strain conditions are presented in this work. The numerical model is used to predict the stress versus axial strain and volumetric strain versus axial strain relationships of those materials; moreover, comparisons between measured and predicted shear band thickness and inclination angles are discussed and the numerical results compare well with the experimental measurements. The numerical model is found to respond to the changes in confining pressure and the initial relative density of a given granular material. The mean particle size is used as an internal length scale. Increasing the confining pressure and the initial density is found to decrease the shear band thickness and increase the inclination angle. The micropolar or Cosserat theory is found to be effective in capturing strain localization in granular materials. The finite element formulations and the solution method for the boundary value problem in the updated Lagrangian frame (UP) are discussed in the companion paper. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Shearing flows of a dry granular material,hypoplastic constitutive theory and numerical simulationsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 14 2006Chung Fang Abstract In the present study, the Goodman,Cowin theory is extended to incorporate plastic features to construct an elasto-visco-plastic constitutive model for flowing dry granular materials. A thermodynamic analysis, based on the Müller,Liu entropy principle, is performed to derive the equilibrium expressions of the constitutive variables. Non-equilibrium responses are proposed by use of a quasi-linear theory, in particular a hypoplastic-type relation is introduced to model the internal friction and plastic effects. It is illustrated that the Goodman,Cowin theory can appropriately be extended to include frictional effects into the evolution equation of the volume fraction (i.e. the so-called balance of equilibrated force) and the equilibrium expression of the Cauchy stress tensor. The implemented model is applied to investigate conventional steady isothermal granular flows with incompressible grains, namely simple plane shear, inclined gravity-driven and vertical channel-flows, respectively. Numerical results show that the hypoplastic effect plays a significant role in the behaviour of a flowing granular material. The obtained profiles of the velocity and the volume fraction with hypoplastic features are usually sharper and the shear-thinning effect is more significant than that without such plastic effects. This points at the possible wide applicability of the present model in the fields of granular materials and soil mechanics. In addition, the present paper also provides a framework for a possible extension of the hypoplastic theories which can be further undertaken. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Influence of liquid bridges on the mechanical behaviour of polydisperse granular materialsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 3 2006F. Soulié Abstract We investigate a polydisperse granular material in which the particle interactions are governed by a capillary force law. The cohesion force for a grain-pair with unequal diameters is expressed as an explicit function of the inter-particle distance and the volume of the liquid bridge. This analytical relation is validated by experiments on a reference material. Then, it is completed by a rupture criterion and cast in the form of a force law that accounts for solid contact, capillary force and rupture characteristics of a grain-pair. Finally, in order to evaluate the influence of capillary cohesion on the macroscopic behaviour, radial and axial compression tests on cylindrical assemblies of wet particles are simulated using a 3D distinct element method. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Numerical modelling of fluid flow in microscopic images of granular materialsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 1 2002E. Masad Abstract A program for the simulation of two-dimensional (2-D) fluid flow at the microstructural level of a saturated anisotropic granular medium is presented. The program provides a numerical solution to the complete set of Navier,Stokes equations without a priori assumptions on the viscous or convection components. This is especially suited for the simulation of the flow of fluids with different density and viscosity values and for a wide range of granular material porosity. The analytical solution for fluid flow in a simple microstructure of porous medium is used to verify the computer program. Subsequently, the flow field is computed within microscopic images of granular material that differ in porosity, particle size and particle shape. The computed flow fields are shown to follow certain paths depending on air void size and connectivity. The permeability tensor coefficients are derived from the flow fields, and their values are shown to compare well with laboratory experimental data on glass beads, Ottawa sand and silica sands. The directional distribution of permeability is expressed in a functional form and its anisotropy is quantified. Permeability anisotropy is found to be more pronounced in the silica sand medium that consists of elongated particles. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An experimental method for determining the effects of strain gradients in a granular materialINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 8 2003Matthew R. Kuhn Abstract The paper presents an algorithm for use with the discrete element method to study possible strain-gradient effects in granular materials. The algorithm produces an intentionally non-uniform displacement pattern by applying external (body) forces to the particles within a simulated granular assembly. The paper describes a method for adjusting the external forces to attain the intended gross displacement pattern, but while allowing individual particles to be in equilibrium among neighbouring particles. The performance of the algorithm is tested in an example of quasi-static deformation, and the algorithm's performance is measured in three respects. The algorithm is shown to enforce the intended displacement pattern, to allow particles to equilibrate among neighbouring particles, and to produce a smooth distribution of the external forces among particles. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Frictional granular mechanics: A variational approachINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 10 2010R. Holtzman Abstract The mechanical properties of a cohesionless granular material are evaluated from grain-scale simulations. Intergranular interactions, including friction and sliding, are modeled by a set of contact rules based on the theories of Hertz, Mindlin, and Deresiewicz. A computer-generated, three-dimensional, irregular pack of spherical grains is loaded by incremental displacement of its boundaries. Deformation is described by a sequence of static equilibrium configurations of the pack. A variational approach is employed to find the equilibrium configurations by minimizing the total work against the intergranular loads. Effective elastic moduli are evaluated from the intergranular forces and the deformation of the pack. Good agreement between the computed and measured moduli, achieved with no adjustment of material parameters, establishes the physical soundness of the proposed model. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Coupling electrical and mechanical effects in discrete element simulationsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2008M. Renouf Abstract When investigating the electrical characteristics of granular assemblies under dynamical solicitations (powder, steel bead assemblies, etc.), it is difficult to distinguish between effects that are purely electrical and those that are strongly dependent on mechanical effects. Although numerous experimental works have permitted better understanding of the static electrical behaviour of such media, it is difficult to determine the effects control the multi-physical behaviour of the medium, especially under dynamical solicitations. In the present paper, numerical investigations of the electrical characteristics of granular material are proposed. Moreover, it presents the formulation of a new model, embedded in the general scheme of discrete element methods, that couples electrical and mechanical effects and takes into account the oxidation phenomenon. Numerical simulations on the basis of experimental works are performed to validate the model, and the results of dynamical simulations are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Lymphedematous HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcomaJOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 7 2006Pratistadevi K. Ramdial Background:, Advanced Kaposi's sarcoma is frequently associated with chronic lymphedema (cLO). The histopathological features of lymphedematous HIV-associated KS (KS) are poorly documented and the co-existence of fibroma-like nodules in lymphedematous KS is under-recognized. The aims of this study were to assess the clinicopathological spectrum and diagnostic difficulties associated with lymphedematous KS and to highlight the clinicopathological profile of fibroma-like nodules. In addition, the pathogenesis of fibroma-like nodules and cLO is revisited. Materials and methods:, Prospective 17-month clinicopathological study of all biopsies from patients with lymphedematous KS. Results:, Seventy-four biopsies, the majority from the lower limbs, from 41 patients were evaluated. Nineteen, 14, five and three patients had one, two, three or four biopsies each, respectively. In 14 biopsies, there was poor clinicopathological correlation of KS stage. Exclusive lesional KS (patch, plaque, nodule or lymphangioma-like) was identified in 29 biopsies; 23 and eight biopsies demonstrated KS or fibroma-like morphology and the adjacent dermis demonstrated cLO. There was variable intratumoral and peritumoral venous compression and lymphatic dilatation. Fourteen biopsies demonstrated cLO exclusively. Smaller fibroma-like nodules lacked KS spindle cells, whereas >5 mm nodules demonstrated focal KS spindle cell proliferation and aggregation on extensive sectioning. The subcutis of 42 biopsies demonstrated variable fibrosis, hemosiderin deposits, lymphocytes, plasma cells, KS, interstitial granular material and pools of lymph fluid. Subcutaneous abscesses were identified in six biopsies. All biopsies had variable epidermal features of cLO. Conclusions:, cLO influences clinicopathological correlation of KS stage and may also mask the presence of KS and the co-existence of subcutaneous abscesses. Smaller fibroma-like nodules are hypothesized to be a manifestation of cLO that have the potential to acquire the characteristics of KS. Lymphatic and venous obstruction, protein-rich interstitial fluid, tissue hemosiderin and subcutaneous infection are hypothesized to play a combined role in the evolution and perpetuation of cLO. [source] Sensing of toxic metals through pH changes using a hybrid sorbent material: Concept and experimental validationAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 11 2009Prasun K. Chatterjee Abstract This article reports a new hybrid sorbent material that is capable of detecting trace concentration of toxic metals, such as zinc, lead, copper, nickel, etc., through pH changes only. The material is essentially a composite granular material synthesized through rapid fusion of a mixture of amorphous hydrated ferric oxide (HFO) and akermanite or calcium magnesium silicate (Ca2MgSi2O7). When a water sample is rapidly passed through a mini-column containing this hybrid material, effluent pH at the exit always remains alkaline (,9.0) because of slow hydrolysis of akermanite and steady release of hydroxyl (OH,) ions. This exit solution turns pink through the addition of a phenolphthalein indicator. Commonly encountered electrolytes containing sodium, calcium, chloride, and sulfate have no impact on the exit pH from the mini-column. However, when trace concentration of a heavy metal (say lead) is present in the sample water, a considerable drop in pH (>2 units) is observed for the exiting solution. At this point, the solution turns colorless through the addition of a phenolphthalein indicator. Moreover, the change in the slope of pH, i.e., ,dpH/dBV, provides a sharp, noticeable peak for each toxic metal where BV is the bed volumes of solution fed. The technique allowed detection of zinc and lead through pH swings in synthesized samples, spiked Bethlehem City water, and also in Lehigh River water in the presence of phosphate and natural organic matter (NOM). Using a simple preconcentration technique, lower than 10 ,g/l of lead was detected with a significant peak. From a mechanistic viewpoint, high sorption affinity of HFO surface sites toward toxic metal cations, ability of akermanite to maintain near-constant alkaline pH for a prolonged period through slow hydrolysis and labile metal-hydroxy complex formation causing dissipation of OH, ions from the aqueous phase provide a synergy that allows detection of toxic metals at concentrations well below 100 ,g/l through pH changes. Nearly all previous investigations pertaining to toxic metals sensing use metal-selective enzymes or organic chromophores. This simple-to-operate technique using an inexpensive hybrid material may find widespread applications in the developing world for rapid detection of toxic metals through pH changes. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source] Sperm ultrastructure of the spider crab Maja brachydactyla (Decapoda: Brachyura)JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Carles G. Simeó Abstract This study describes the morphology of the sperm cell of Maja brachydactyla, with emphasis on localizing actin and tubulin. The spermatozoon of M. brachydactyla is similar in appearance and organization to other brachyuran spermatozoa. The spermatozoon is a globular cell composed of a central acrosome, which is surrounded by a thin layer of cytoplasm and a cup-shaped nucleus with four radiating lateral arms. The acrosome is a subspheroidal vesicle composed of three concentric zones surrounded by a capsule. The acrosome is apically covered by an operculum. The perforatorium penetrates the center of the acrosome and has granular material partially composed of actin. The cytoplasm contains one centriole in the subacrosomal region. A cytoplasmic ring encircles the acrosome in the subapical region of the cell and contains the structures-organelles complex (SO-complex), which is composed of a membrane system, mitochondria with few cristae, and microtubules. In the nucleus, slightly condensed chromatin extends along the lateral arms, in which no microtubules have been observed. Chromatin fibers aggregate in certain areas and are often associated with the SO-complex. During the acrosomal reaction, the acrosome could provide support for the penetration of the sperm nucleus, the SO-complex could serve as an anchor point for chromatin, and the lateral arms could play an important role triggering the acrosomal reaction, while slightly decondensed chromatin may be necessary for the deformation of the nucleus. J. Morphol., 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Simulation and experiments of mixing and segregation in a tote blenderAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2005O. S. Sudah Abstract Experimental and computational investigation of mixing and segregation of granular material in a tote blender was carried out. The discrete element method (DEM) was used to simulate flow of spherical, free-flowing particles where the results of the computations were compared to blending. Computational results are compared to blending experiments of monodisperse and bidisperse systems using spherical glass beads in a 1:1 scale. Although some discrepancies were observed, DEM simulations illustrated good agreement with experimentally measured mixing and segregation rates for different fill levels and loading conditions. The effects of blender geometry on particle velocities and flow patterns were examined using DEM. The presence of a hopper and bin section, as well as the axial offset proved to introduce greater axial mixing rates that would be expected from pure dispersion. Vibrated experiments showed better agreement than not-vibrated experiments, indicating that modeling of friction forces needs to be further improved to enhance the accuracy of DEM methods. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 51: 836,844, 2005 [source] A kinetic scheme for the Savage,Hutter equationsMATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 16 2008Christine Kaland Abstract The Savage,Hutter (SH) equations describe the motion of granular material under the influence of friction. Based on the kinetic formulation of the SH equations, we present a kinetic scheme in one dimension, which describes the deformation of the mass profile and allows it to start and to stop. Moreover the method is able to preserve the steady states of granular masses at rest. The method is tested on several numerical examples. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Ultrastructure, Eneystment and Cyst Wall Composition of the Resting Cyst of the Peritrich Ciliate Opisthonecta henneguyiTHE JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003PURIFICACIÓN CALVO ABSTRACT. The cyst wall of Opisthonecta henneguyi has been studied ultrastructurally and cytochemically by light and electron microscopy, as well as by chemical and electrophoretic analyses, to examine the structure of the cyst wall and its composition. The cyst wall consists of four morphologically distinct layers. The ectocyst is a thin dense layer. The mesocyst is the thickest layer and is composed of a compact material. The endocyst is a thin layer like the ectocyst, but less dense. The granular layer varies in thickness and is composed of a granular material. In the resting cyst, kinetosomes of both oral apparatus and trochal band as well as the myoneme system are maintained, and only cilia are resorbed. The sugars present in the cyst wall are predominantly N-acetylglucosamine (90%) and glucose (10%). The niesocyst is composed of chitin, and the endocyst includes glycoproteins and acid mucopolysaccharides. During secretion of the cyst wall, the endocyst and granular layer are secreted from precursors synthesized "de novo". No cytoplasmic precursors of ectocyst and mesocyst have been detected. [source] The Influence of Magnetic Fields on the Mechanical Behaviour of Granular Materials Used for Foundry Moulding: Numerical and Experimental Analysis,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 8 2006P.-M. Geffroy Understanding the mechanical behaviour of granular materials is of financial importance in many industries, including the geotechnical [1], pharmaceutical and foundry sectors. In the latter, granular materials are used as mould elements for lost foam (sand) and magnetic moulding (steel shot) processes. This study focuses on optimising mould geometry and magnetic field characteristics (intensity and orientation) to obtain the desired dimensions of the final product. [source] ,Arching' effect in elastic polycrystals: implications for the variability of fatigue livesFATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, Issue 4 2002S. Pommier ABSTRACT The paper deals with a study of heterogeneous stress and strain distribution in polycrystals in relation with elastic anisotropy of grains. A similitude with the arching effect widely studied in granular materials is proposed and this concept is extended to heterogeneous polycrystals in which the load transfer is not binary in the way it is in granular media but may vary significantly and suddenly from one grain to another according to the crystal orientation to the load direction. Experiments and 3D finite element analyses show that though the individual orientation of grains is random, the strain and stress distribution is not. A network is formed inside the polycrystal whose scale is larger than the grain size. The load percolation network consists in heavily loaded links whose direction is coincident with the direction of the principal stresses. So, the typical scale for the variability of the local stresses is not the grain size but the size of the load percolation network. Since this scale is found to be rather large in particular for iron, zinc and copper, this effect should contribute significantly to the variability of the fatigue lives of notched vs. smooth components. [source] Numerical local analysis of relevant internal variables for constitutive modelling of granular materialsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 11 2010Yuhanis Yunus Abstract DEM simulations on spherical materials have been performed to study the behaviour of model granular materials not only under monotonous stress path such as triaxial compression or extension, but also under two-way cycling loading paths. Three reference states have been considered to characterize the behaviour of the granular material: the characteristic state, transitory state between volumetric contraction and dilation, the state of maximum resistance and the critical state. These states are regarded with respect to void ratio and anisotropy of fabric which are the two internal variables retained for the description of the internal state of the material. The characteristic state and the state at maximum resistance are clearly dependent on both levels of density and anisotropy at the beginning of a loading path. Bilinear models involving the two internal variables were designed for the characteristic state, the maximum dilatancy and the extent of the dilatancy domain for axisymetric loadings. They show that in each case the effect of density and anisotropy are different in compression and extension. The influence of anisotropy and density seems to be of the same order of magnitude. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Influence of inherent anisotropy on mechanical behavior of granular materials based on DEM simulationsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 8 2010Zafar Mahmood Abstract We study the influence of inherent anisotropy, i.e. bedding angle on stress,strain behavior and shear band formation in quasi-static granular media. Plane strain biaxial tests are carried out using two-dimensional distinct element method (DEM). Oval/elliptical-shaped particles are generated by overlapping the discrete circular elements. Particle assemblies with four different bedding angles are tested. Evolution of the microstructure inside and outside the shear band and effect of bedding angle on the microstructure are investigated. Influence of bedding angle on fabric and force anisotropy is studied. It is found that by using non-circular particles, generation of large voids and excess particle rotations inside the shear band are reproduced in a quite similar manner to those of the natural granular soils, which are difficult to produce with standard DEM simulations using circular particles. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An enhanced constitutive model for crushable granular materialsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 6 2010Ali Daouadji Abstract Studies in the past have tried to reproduce the mechanical behaviour of granular materials by proposing constitutive relations based on a common assumption that model parameters and parameters describing the properties, including gradation of individual grains are inevitably linked. However successful these models have proved to be, they cannot account for the changes in granular assembly behaviour if the grains start to break during mechanical loading. This paper proposes to analyse the relation between grading change and the mechanical behaviour of granular assembly. A way to model the influence of grain breakage is to use a critical state-based model. The influence of the amount of grain breakage during loading, depending on the individual grain strength and size distribution, can be introduced into constitutive relations by means of a new parameter that controls the evolution of critical state with changes in grain size distribution. Experimental data from a calcareous sand, a quartz sand, and a rockfill material were compared with numerical results and good-quality simulations were obtained. The main consequences of grain breakage are increased compressibility and a gradual dilatancy disappearance in the granular material. The critical state concept is also enriched by considering its overall relation to the evolution of the granular material. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Hyperelastic modelling of small-strain stiffness anisotropy of cyclically loaded sandINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 2 2010A. Gajo Abstract Experimental evidence shows that soil stiffness at very small strains is strongly anisotropic and depends on the stress level and void ratio. In particular, stiffness anisotropy varies considerably in sand when subjected to cyclic loading, following the stress cycles applied. To model this behaviour, an innovative hyperelastic formulation based on the elastoplastic coupling is incorporated in a new kinematic hardening elastoplastic model. The proposed hyperelastic,plastic model is the first to be capable of correctly simulating all aspects of the small-strain behaviour of granular materials subjected to monotonic and cyclic loads. This hyperelastic formulation is generally applicable to any elastoplastic model. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Micromechanical analysis of failure propagation in frictional granular materialsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 15 2009Antoinette Tordesillas Abstract The extent to which the evolution of instabilities and failure across multiple length scales can be reproduced with the aid of a bifurcation analysis is examined. We adopt an elastoplastic micropolar constitutive model, recently developed for dense cohesionless granular materials within the framework of thermomicromechanics. The internal variables and their evolution laws are conceived from a direct consideration of the dissipative mechanism of force chain buckling. The resulting constitutive law is cast entirely in terms of the particle scale properties. It thus presents a unique opportunity to test the potential of micromechanical continuum formulations to reproduce key stages in the deformation history: the development of material instabilities and failure following an initially homogeneous deformation. Progression of failure, initiating from frictional sliding and rolling at contacts, followed by the buckling of force chains, through to macroscopic strain softening and shear banding, is reproduced. Bifurcation point, marking the onset of shear banding, occurred shortly after the peak stress ratio. A wide range of material parameters was examined to show the effect of particle scale properties on the progression of failure. Model predictions on the thickness and angle of inclination of the shear band and the structural evolution inside the band, namely the latitudinal distribution of particle rotations and the angular distributions of contacts and the normal contact forces, are consistent with observations from numerical simulations and experiments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] On the capillary stress tensor in wet granular materialsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 10 2009L. Scholtès Abstract This paper presents a micromechanical study of unsaturated granular media in the pendular regime, based on numerical experiments using the discrete element method, compared with a microstructural elastoplastic model. Water effects are taken into account by adding capillary menisci at contacts and their consequences in terms of force and water volume are studied. Simulations of triaxial compression tests are used to investigate both macro and micro-effects of a partial saturation. The results provided by the two methods appear to be in good agreement, reproducing the major trends of a partially saturated granular assembly, such as the increase in the shear strength and the hardening with suction. Moreover, a capillary stress tensor is exhibited from capillary forces by using homogenization techniques. Both macroscopic and microscopic considerations emphasize an induced anisotropy of the capillary stress tensor in relation with the pore fluid distribution inside the material. Insofar as the tensorial nature of this fluid fabric implies shear effects on the solid phase associated with suction, a comparison has been made with the standard equivalent pore pressure assumption. It is shown that water effects induce microstructural phenomena that cannot be considered at the macro level, particularly when dealing with material history. Thus, the study points out that unsaturated soil stress definitions should include, besides the macroscopic stresses such as the total stress, the microscopic interparticle stresses such as the ones resulting from capillary forces, in order to interpret more precisely the implications of the pore fluid on the mechanical behaviour of granular materials. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Finite elements modelling of the long-term behaviour of a full-scale flexible pavement with the shakedown theoryINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 1 2009Cyrille Chazallon Abstract Rutting, due to permanent deformations of unbound materials, is one of the principal damage modes of low-traffic pavements. Flexible pavement design methods remain empirical; they do not take into account the inelastic behaviour of pavement materials and do not predict the rutting under cyclic loading. A simplified method, based on the concept of the shakedown theory developed by Zarka for metallic structures under cyclic loadings, has been used to estimate the permanent deformations of unbound granular materials subjected to traffic loading. Based on repeated load triaxial tests, a general procedure has been developed for the determination of the material parameters of the constitutive model. Finally, the results of a finite elements modelling of the long-term behaviour of a flexible pavement with the simplified method are presented and compared with the results of a full-scale flexible pavement experiment performed by Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées. Finally, the calculation of the rut depth evolution with time is carried out. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||