Dilatancy of granular materials in a strain space multiple mechanism model

Abstract

AbstractA granular material consists of an assemblage of particles with contacts newly formed or disappeared, changing the micromechanical structures during macroscopic deformation. These structures are idealized through a strain space multiple mechanism model as a twofold structure consisting of a multitude of virtual two‐dimensional mechanisms, each of which consists of a multitude of virtual simple shear mechanisms of one‐dimensional nature. In particular, a second‐order fabric tensor describes direct macroscopic stress–strain relationship, and a fourth‐order fabric tensor describes incremental relationship. In this framework of modeling, the mechanism of interlocking defined as the energy less component of macroscopic strain provides an appropriate bridge between micromechanical and macroscopic dilative component of dilatancy. Another bridge for contractive component of dilatancy is provided through an obvious hypothesis on micromechanical counterparts being associated with virtual simple shear strain. It is also postulated that the dilatancy along the stress path beyond a line slightly above the phase transformation line is only due to the mechanism of interlocking and increment in dilatancy due to this interlocking eventually vanishing for a large shear strain. These classic postulates form the basis for formulating the dilatancy in the strain space multiple mechanism model. The performance of the proposed model is demonstrated through simulation of undrained behavior of sand under monotonic and cyclic loading. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.