Instability of Particulate Assemblies under Constant Shear Drained Stress Path: DEM Approach
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 19, Issue 6
Abstract
The discrete element method (DEM) is applied to investigate instability of frictional particulate assemblies sheared under the triaxial constant shear drained (CSD) condition. The instability in loose samples occurs in the contractive regime of the behavior prior to the complete mobilization of the critical state friction angle. In contrast, instability of dense assemblies occurs once the peak stress ratio is attained. For the loose assemblies, certain states for the onset of instability may be found by means of the intersection of the effective stress path with the instability line obtained from constant volume tests, the second-order work, nullification of volumetric strain rate, and the abrupt rise in the axial strain rate. However, only the second-order work and the sudden rise in the axial strain rate criteria can be applied to examine the instability of dense granular samples. Using the DEM data, evolutions of coordination number and contact fabric tensor in both loose and dense assemblies are investigated. Also, as a complement, a modified plasticity model based on the anisotropic critical state theory is presented that can effectively simulate the instability of loose and dense samples sheared under CSD stress paths using a single set of the model parameters.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Alipour, M. J., and A. Lashkari. 2018. “Sand instability under constant shear drained stress path.” Int. J. Solids Struct. 150 (Oct): 66–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2018.06.003.
Anderson, S., and M. Riemer. 1995. “Collapse of saturated soil due to reduction in confinement.” J. Geotech. Engrg. 121 (2): 216–220. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1995)121:2(216).
Andrade, J. E., A. M. Ramos, and A. Lizcano. 2013. “Criterion for flow liquefaction instability.” Acta Geotech. 8 (5): 525–535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-013-0223-x.
Ashegh, M., M. R. Imam, F. Kaviani-Hamedani, and K. Fakharian. 2014. “Modeling the undrained compression and extension behavior of Firoozkooh sand using a critical state model.” In Proc., 8th National Congress on Civil Engineering. Babol, Iran: Babol Noshirvani Univ. of Technology.
Azizi, A., R. Imam, A. Soroush, and R. Zandian. 2009. “Behavior of sands in constant deviatoric stress loading.” Prediction and simulation methods for geohazard mitigation, edited by F. Oka, A. Murakami, and S. Kimoto, 319–324. London: CRC Press.
Baki, M. A. L., M. M. Rahman, and S. R. Lo. 2014. “Predicting onset of cyclic instability of loose sand with fines using instability curves.” Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng. 61–62: 140–151.
Been, K., and M. G. Jefferies. 1985. “A state parameter for sands.” Géotechnique 35 (2): 99–112. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1985.35.2.99.
Borja, R. I. 2006. “Condition for liquefaction instability in fluid-saturated granular soils.” Acta Geotech. 1 (4): 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-006-0017-5.
Brand, E. W. 1981. “Some thoughts on rain-induced slope failures.” In Vol. 3 of Proc., 10th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 373–376. Stockholm, Sweden: A. A. Balkema.
Buscarnera, G., and A. Whittle. 2013. “Model prediction of static liquefaction: Influence of the initial state on potential instabilities.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 139 (3): 420–432. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000779.
Christoffersen, J., M. M. Mehrabadi, and S. Nemat-Nasser. 1981. “A micromechanical description of granular material behavior.” J. Appl. Mech. 48 (2): 339–344. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3157619.
Chu, J., W. K. Leong, W. L. Loke, and D. Wanatowski. 2012. “Instability of loose sand under drained conditions.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 138 (2): 207–216. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000574.
Chu, J., S. Leroueil, and W. K. Leong. 2003. “Unstable behaviour of sand and its implication for slope stability.” Can. Geotech. J. 40 (5): 873–885. https://doi.org/10.1139/t03-039.
Daouadji, A., H. AlGali, F. Darve, and A. Zeghloul. 2010. “Instability in granular materials: Experimental evidence of diffuse mode of failure for loose sands.” J. Eng. Mech. 136 (5): 575–588. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0000101.
Darve, F., and F. Laouafa. 2000. “Instabilities in granular materials and application to landslides.” Mech. Cohesive-Frictional Mater. 5 (8): 627–652. https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1484(200011)5:8%3C627::AID-CFM109%3E3.0.CO;2-F.
Darve, F., G. Servant, F. Laouafa, and H. D. V. Khoa. 2004. “Failure in geomaterials: Continuous and discrete analyses.” Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng. 193 (27–29): 3057–3085. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2003.11.011.
Dong, Q., C. Xu, Y. Cai, H. Juang, J. Wang, Z. Yang, and C. Gu. 2016. “Drained instability in loose granular material.” Int. J. Geomech. 16 (2): 04015403. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000524.
Eckersley, D. 1990. “Instrumented laboratory flowslides.” Géotechnique 40 (3): 489–502. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1990.40.3.489.
Feia, S., J. Sulem, J. Canou, S. Ghabezloo, and X. Clain. 2016. “Changes in permeability of sand during triaxial loading: Effect of fine particles production.” Acta Geotech. 11 (1): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-014-0351-y.
Gao, Z., J. Zhao, X. S. Li, and Y. F. Dafalias. 2014. “A critical state sand plasticity model accounting for fabric evolution.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech. 38 (4): 370–390. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.2211.
Golchin, A., and A. Lashkari. 2014. “A critical state sand model with elastic–plastic coupling.” Int. J. Solids Struct. 51 (15–16): 2807–2825. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2014.03.032.
Gu, X., M. Huang, and J. Qian. 2014a. “Discrete element modeling of shear band in granular materials.” Theor. Appl. Fract. Mech. 72 (Aug): 37–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tafmec.2014.06.008.
Gu, X. Q., M. Huang, and J. Qian. 2014b. “DEM investigation on the evolution of microstructure in granular soils under shearing.” Granular Matter 16 (1): 91–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-013-0467-z.
Guo, N., and J. Zhao. 2013. “The signature of shear-induced anisotropy in granular media.” Comput. Geotech. 47 (Jan): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2012.07.002.
Guo, N., and J. Zhao. 2016. “3D multiscale modeling of strain localization in granular media.” Comput. Geotech. 80 (Dec): 360–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2016.01.020.
Hertz, H. 1896. “Über die berührung fester elastischer körper (on the contact of rigid elastic solids).” J. Reine Angew. Math. 92: 156–171.
Hill, R. 1958. “A general theory of uniqueness and stability in elastic-plastic solids.” J. Mech. Phys. Solids 6 (3): 236–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5096(58)90029-2.
Imposimato, S., and R. Nova. 1998. “An investigation on the uniqueness of the incremental response of elastoplastic models for virgin sand.” Mech. Cohesive-Frictional Mater. 3 (1): 65–87. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1484(199801)3:1%3C65::AID-CFM42%3E3.0.CO;2-9.
Jiang, M., F. Zhang, and H. Hu. 2017. “DEM modeling mechanical behavior of unsaturated structural loess under constant stress increment ratio compression tests.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (4): 04016108. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000762.
Jiang, M. J., H.-S. Yu, and D. Harris. 2005. “A novel discrete model for granular material incorporating rolling resistance.” Comput. Geotech. 32 (5): 340–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2005.05.001.
Lade, P. 1992. “Static instability and liquefaction of loose fine sandy slopes.” J. Geotech. Engrg. 18 (1): 51–72. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1992)118:1(51).
Lade, P. V. 2002. “Instability, shear banding, and failure in granular materials.” Int. J. Solids Struct. 39 (13–14): 3337–3357. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7683(02)00157-9.
Lashkari, A. 2016. “Prediction of flow liquefaction instability of clean and silty sands.” Acta Geotech. 11 (5): 987–1014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-015-0413-9.
Lashkari, A., A. Karimi, K. Fakharian, and F. Kaviani-Hamedani. 2017. “Prediction of undrained behavior of isotropically and anisotropically consolidated Firoozkuh sand: Instability and flow liquefaction.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (10): 04017083. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000958.
Li, G., Y. Liu, C. Dano, and P. Hicher. 2015. “Grading-dependent behavior of granular materials: From discrete element to continuous modeling.” J. Eng. Mech. 141 (6): 04014172. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0000866.
Li, X., and Y. Dafalias. 2012. “Anisotropic critical state theory: Role of fabric.” J. Eng. Mech. 138 (3): 263–275. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0000324.
Li, X., and Y. Wang. 1998. “Linear representation of steady-state line for sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 124 (12): 1215–1217. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1998)124:12(1215).
Mizanur, R., and S. Lo. 2012. “Predicting the onset of static liquefaction of loose sand with fines.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 138 (8): 1037–1041. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000661.
Ng, T., W. Zhou, and X. Chang. 2017. “Effect of particle shape and fine content on the behavior of binary mixture.” J. Eng. Mech. 141 (1): C40106008. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001070.
Nicot, F., and F. Darve. 2015. “Describing failure in geomaterials using second-order work approach.” Water Sci. Eng. 8 (2): 89–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wse.2015.05.001.
Nicot, F., N. Hadda, F. Bourrier, L. Sibille, R. Wan, and F. Darve. 2012. “Inertia effects as a possible missing link between micro and macro second-order work in granular media.” Int. J. Solids Strut. 49 (10): 1252–1258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2012.02.005.
Nicot, F., N. Hadda, L. Sibille, F. Radjai, P.-Y. Hicher, and F. Darve. 2014. “Some micromechanical aspects of failure in granular materials based on second-order work.” C. R. Mec. 342 (3): 174–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crme.2014.01.006.
Nova, R. 1994. “Controllability of the incremental response of soil specimens subjected to arbitrary loading programs.” J. Mech. Behav. Mater. 5 (2): 193–201.
Qian, J., Z. You, M. Huang, and X. Gu. 2013. “A micromechanics-based model for estimating localized failure with effects of fabric anisotropy.” Comput. Geotech. 50 (May): 90–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2013.01.001.
Rahman, M. M., S. R. Lo, and M. A. L. Baki. 2011. “Equivalent granular parameter and undrained behaviour of sand-fines mixtures.” Acta Geotech. 6 (4): 183–194. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-011-0145-4.
Sasitharan, S., P. K. Robertson, D. C. Sego, and N. R. Morgenstern. 1993. “Collapse behavior of sand.” Can. Geotech. J. 30 (4): 569–577. https://doi.org/10.1139/t93-049.
Satake, M. 1982. “Fabric tensor in granular materials.” In Proc., IUTAM Symp. on Deformation and Failure of Granular Materials, edited by P. A. Vermeer and H. J. Luger, 63–68. Amsterdam, Netherlands: A. A. Balkema.
Seyedi Hosseininia, E. 2015. “A micromechanical study on the stress rotation in granular materials due to fabric evolution.” Powder Technol. 283 (Oct): 462–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2015.06.013.
Skopek, P., N. R. Morgenstern, P. K. Robertson, and D. C. Sego. 1994. “Collapse of dry sand.” Can. Geotech. J. 31 (6): 1008–1014. https://doi.org/10.1139/t94-115.
Sladen, J. A., R. D. D’Hollander, and J. Krahn. 1985. “The liquefaction of sands, a collapse surface approach.” Can. Geotech. J. 22 (4): 564–578.
Theocharis, A., E. Vairaktaris, Y. Dafalias, and A. Papadimitriou. 2017. “Proof of incompleteness of critical state theory in granular mechanics and its remedy.” J. Eng. Mech. 143 (2): 04016117. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001166.
Wang, R., P. Fu, J.-M. Zhang, and Y. F. Dafalias. 2016. “DEM study of fabric features governing undrained post-liquefaction shear deformation of sand.” Acta Geotech. 11 (6): 1321–1337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-016-0499-8.
Xiao, Y., and H. Liu. 2017. “Elastoplastic constitutive model for rockfill materials considering particle breakage.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (1): 04016041. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000681.
Xie, Y. H., Z. X. Yang, D. Barreto, and M. D. Jiang. 2017. “The influence of particle geometry and the intermediate stress ratio on the shear behavior of granular materials.” Granular Matter 19 (2): 35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-017-0723-8.
Yang, J., and X. Li. 2004. “State-dependent strength of sands from the perspective of unified modeling.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 130 (2): 186–198. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2004)130:2(186).
Yang, Z., and Y. Wu. 2017. “Critical state for anisotropic granular materials: A discrete element perspective.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (2): 0016054. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000720.
Yoshimine, M., and K. Ishihara. 1998. “Flow potential of sand during liquefaction.” Soils Found. 38 (3): 189–198. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.38.3_189.
Zhao, J., and N. Guo. 2013. “Unique critical state characteristics in granular media considering fabric anisotropy.” Géotechnique 63 (8): 695–704. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.12.P.040.
Zhou, W., J. Liu, G. Ma, and X. Chang. 2017. “Three-dimensional DEM investigation of critical state and dilatancy behavior of granular materials.” Acta Geotech. 12 (3): 527–540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-017-0530-8.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 19 • Issue 6 • June 2019
Copyright
© 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 18, 2017
Accepted: Nov 19, 2018
Published online: Apr 3, 2019
Published in print: Jun 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Sep 3, 2019
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.