Effect of Particle Grading on the Response of an Idealized Granular Assemblage
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 11, Issue 4
Abstract
The effects of particle-size distribution on a granular assemblage’s mechanical response were studied through a series of numerical triaxial tests using the three-dimensional (3D) discrete-element method. An assemblage was formed by spherical particles of various sizes. A simple linear contact model was adopted with the crucial consideration of varying contact stiffness with particle diameter. Numerical triaxial tests were mimicked by imposing axial compression under constant lateral pressure and constant volume condition, respectively. It was found that an assemblage with a wider particle grading gives more contractive response and behaves toward strain hardening upon shearing. Its critical state locates at a lower position in a void ratio versus mean normal stress plot. Nevertheless, no obvious difference in the critical stress ratio was shown. Model constants in a simple but efficient phenomenologically based granular material model within the framework of critical-state soil mechanics were calibrated from the numerical test results. Results show that some model constants exhibit linear variation with the coefficient of uniformity whereas others are almost independent of particle grading. This investigation provides an opportunity to better understand the implications and meanings of model constants in a phenomenologically based model from the microscale perspective.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The writers would like to acknowledge the Fundo para o Desenvolvimento das Ciências e da Tecnologia (FDCT), Macau SAR government (Grant No. UNSPECIFIED027/2006/A) and the Research Committee, University of Macau (Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDRG071/05-06S/YWM/FST) for financial assistance at the initial stage of this project.
References
Åberg, B. (1996a). “Grain-size distribution for smallest possible void ratio.” J. Geotech. Eng., 122(1), 74–77.
Åberg, B. (1996b). “Void sizes in granular soils.” J. Geotech. Eng., 122(3), 236–239.
Bardet, J. P., and Proubet, J. (1991). “A numerical investigation of the structure of persistent shear bands in granular media.” Géotechnique, 41(4), 599–613.
Been, K., and Jefferies, M. G. (1985). “A state parameter for sands.” Géotechnique, 35(2), 99–112.
Cheng, Y. P., Bolton, M. D., and Nakata, Y. (2004). “Crushing and plastic deformation of soils simulated using DEM.” Géotechnique, 54(2), 131–141.
Cheng, Y. P., Nakata, Y., and Bolton, M. D. (2003). “Discrete element simulation of crushable soil.” Géotechnique, 53(7), 633–641.
Cho, G. C., Doods, J., and Santamarina, J. C. (2006). “Particle shape effects on packing density, stiffness, and strength: natural and crushed sands.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 132(5), 591–602.
Cook, B. K., and Jensen, R. P. (2002). “Discrete element methods: Numerical modeling of discontinua.” Proc., 3rd Int. Conf. on Discrete Element Methods, Geotechnical Special Publication No. 117, ASCE, Santa Fe, NM.
Cundall, P. A., and Strack, O. L. (1979). “A discrete numerical model for granular assemblies.” Géotechnique, 29(1), 47–65.
Feng, Y. T., Han, K., and Owen, D. R. J. (2002). “An advancing front packing of polygons, ellipses and spheres.” Discrete element methods: Numerical modeling of discontinua.” Proc., 3rd Int. Conf. on Discrete Element Methods, Geotechnical Special Publication No. 117, ASCE, Santa Fe, NM, 93–98.
Feng, Y. T., Han, K., and Owen, D. R. J. (2003). “Filling domains with disks: An advancing front approach.” Int. J. Numer. Methods Eng., 56(5), 699–713.
Han, K., Feng, Y. T., and Owen, D. R. J. (2005). “Sphere packing with a geometric based compression algorithm.” Powder Technol., 155(1), 33–41.
Iwashita, K., and Oda, M. (1998). “Rolling resistance at contacts in simulation of shear band development by DEM.” J. Eng. Mech., 124(3), 285–292.
Kuhn, M. R. (2005). “Are granular materials simple? An experimental study of strain gradient effects and localization.” Mech. Mater., 37(5), 607–627.
Lade, P. V., and Yamamuro, J. A. (1997). “Effects of nonplastic fines on static liquefaction of sands.” Can. Geotech. J., 34(6), 918–928.
Li, X. S. (2002). “A sand model with state-dependent dilatancy.” Géotechnique, 52(3), 173–186.
Li, X. S., and Dafalias, Y. F. (2000). “Dilatancy for cohesionless soils.” Géotechnique, 50(4), 449–460.
Li, X. S., and Wang, Y. (1998). “Linear representation of steady-state line for sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 124(12), 1215–1217.
Lin, X., and Ng, T. T. (1997). “A three-dimensional discrete element model using arrays of ellipsoids.” Géotechnique, 47(2), 319–329.
Liu, S. H., Sun, D. A., and Wang, Y. (2003). “Numerical study of soil collapse behavior by discrete element modeling.” Comput. Geotech., 30(5), 399–408.
Mustoe, G. G. W., Henriksen, M., and Huttelmaier, H. P. (1989). “Discrete element methods.” Proc., 1st US Conf. on Discrete Element Methods, CSM Press, Golden, CO.
Ng, T. T. (2001). “Fabric evolution of ellipsoidal arrays with different particle shapes.” J. Eng. Mech., 127(10), 994–999.
Ng, T. T. (2004). “Behavior of ellipsoids of two sizes.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 130(10), 1077–1083.
PFC3D [Computer software]. Itasca Consulting Group, Minneapolis.
Powrie, W., Ni, Q., Harkness, R. M., and Zhang, X. (2005). “Numerical modelling of plane strain tests on sands using a particulate approach.” Géotechnique, 55(4), 297–306.
Richart, F. E. Jr., Hall, J. R., and Woods, R. D. (1970). Vibrations of soils and foundations, Int. series in theoretical and applied mechanics, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Robertson, D., and Bolton, M. D. (2001). “DEM simulations of crushable grains and soils.” Proc. 4th Int. Conf. on Micromechanics of Granular Media, Powders and Grains 2001, Sendai, Japan, 623–626.
Santamarina, J. C., and Cho, G. C. (2001). “Determination of critical state parameters in sand soils—Simple procedure.” Geotech. Test. J., 24(2), 185–192.
Schofield, A. N. (2006). “Interlocking, and peak and design strengths.” Géotechnique, 56(5), 357–358.
Taylor, D. W. (1948). Fundamentals of soil mechanics, Wiley, New York.
Thevanayagam, S. (1998). “Effect of fines and confining stress on undrained shear strength of silty sands.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 124(6), 479–491.
Ting, J. M., Khwaja, M., Meachum, L. R., and Rowell, J. D. (1993). “An ellipse-based discrete element model for granular materials.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech., 17(9), 603–623.
Wang, Y. H., and Leung, S. C. (2008). “A particulate-scale investigation of cemented sand behavior.” Can. Geotech. J., 45(1), 29–44.
Wichtmann, T., and Triantafyllidis, T. (2009). “Influence of the grain-size distribution curve of quartz sand on the small strain shear modulus .” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 135(10), 1404–1418.
Williams, J., and Mustoe, G. G. W. (1993). “Discrete element methods.” Proc., 2nd Int. Conf. on the Discrete Element Methods, MIT, Cambridge, MA.
Williams, J. R., Perkins, E., and Cook, B. (2004). “A contact algorithm for partitioning N arbitrary sized objects.” Eng. Comput., 21(2), 235–248.
Yamamuro, J. A., and Covert, K. M. (2001). “Monotonic and cyclic liquefaction of very loose sands with high silt content.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 127(4), 314–324.
Yan, W. M. (2009). “Fabric evolution in a numerical direct shear test.” Comput. Geotech., 36(4), 597–603.
Yan, W. M. (2011). “Particle elongation and deposition effect to macroscopic and microscopic responses of numerical direct shear tests.” Geotech. Test. J., 34(3), 238–249.
Zhang, L., and Thornton, C. (2007). “A numerical examination of the direct shear test.” Géotechnique, 57(4), 343–354.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 27, 2010
Accepted: Aug 16, 2010
Published online: Jul 15, 2011
Published in print: Aug 1, 2011
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.