Investigation of Mechanical Response Induced in Dynamic Compaction of Sandy Soils with PFC^2D

The paper discusses the main aspects involved in numerical modeling of large deformation, rigid body impacts in sandy soils. The modeling was performed for the study of dynamic compaction of sandy soils induced by repeated drops of a rigid tamper. A two-dimensional discrete element model, written with PFC^2D code (Particle Flow Code in two dimension), has been developed to carry out simulation of dynamic compaction process on a sandy soils. Comparisons were made of the dynamic contact stress of tamper bottom, dynamic stress with depth, displacement fields with depth and crater depth. A preliminary assessment of the reliability of these numerical curves was conducted using results from the laboratory model tests. The results show that the mechanical response of sandy soils induced by tamper dropping could be well simulated with PFC^2D during dynamic compaction, and the change of dynamic stress and dynamic strain with depth can be real-time traced and recorded.