Abstract
By means of two dimensional contact dynamics simulations, we analyzed the effect of the particle size distribution (PSD) on the shear strength of granular materials composed of un-breakable disks. We modelled PSDs with a normalized beta function, which allows for building S-shaped gradation curves, such as those that typically occur in soils. We systematically controlled and varied the size span and the shape of the PSD, and found that the shear strength is independent both characteristics. This implies that PSD modification procedures such as material scalping (i.e., removing the smallest and/or largest particles in the sample) should not affect significantly the shear strength of the material composed of unbreakable discs. In order to explore the origins of the invariance of the shear strength with PSD, we analyzed the connectivity, force transmission, and friction mobilization in terms of anisotropies, finding that the constant shear strength is due to a subtle compensation of anisotropies.
Highlights
The study of the mechanical behavior of mine wastes containing particles of metric order is a challenging task because commercial testing devices can only accommodate samples composed of particles a few centimeters in dimension
The main objective of this work was to analyze the effect of the particle size distribution (PSD) on the shear strength of granular materials composed of unbreakable disks
We investigated the joint effect of the size span and shape of the particle size distribution (PSD) on the shear strength of packings composed of unbreakable disks, by means of contact dynamics simulations
Summary
The study of the mechanical behavior of mine wastes containing particles of metric order is a challenging task because commercial testing devices can only accommodate samples composed of particles a few centimeters in dimension. Sample preparation procedures such as parallel scaling or material scalping are widely used in engineering practice. A possible strategy for studying this problem theoretically is to analyze simplified systems (e.g., twodimensional systems, comprised of circular and unbreakable grains, with simple interaction laws such as Coulomb friction) This allows for singling out the effects of the PSD while leaving out the “noise” of other important factors. Discrete element methods are well suited for this type of simulations This strategy has been used successfully to analyze the effect of the PSD on packing fraction and shear strength The main objective of this work was to analyze the effect of the particle size distribution (PSD) on the shear strength of granular materials composed of unbreakable disks. Hypotheses proposed recently and extend their validity to a larger family of PSDs
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