Multi-Scale Study of Specimen Size Effect on Shear Strength of Polydisperse Granular Materials Using DEM
Publication: Geo-Congress 2024
ABSTRACT
In soil shear strength characterization, particle size is usually much smaller than the testing device size. However, when particle size is similar to the size of the apparatus (e.g., for coarse granular materials), the mechanical response becomes less reliable. To address this, international standards prescribe minimum sample scales based on maximal particle and device sizes. Nevertheless, the influence of the sample scale on the mechanical response is still not well understood. This topic is studied through simple shear simulations in the frame of the discrete-element method, covering a wide range of sample scales and particle size distributions. Micromechanical analyses of force and contact configurations reveal that the stability of parameters is linked to the formation of local rigid structures that carry forces significantly higher than the average. When the height of these structures becomes comparable to that of the sample, macroscopic and microscopic parameters deviate from those found under larger sample scales. Although these findings require further validation, this work suggests that the standards may need to be re-evaluated for an effective material characterization.
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Published online: Feb 22, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Discrete element method
- Earth materials
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Geomaterials
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Granular materials
- Laboratory tests
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials characterization
- Materials engineering
- Methodology (by type)
- Numerical methods
- Particle size distribution
- Shear strength
- Shear tests
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil strength
- Strength of materials
- Tests (by type)
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