Shape-induced clusters of ellipsoids during triaxial compression: A multiscale analysis using LS-DEM

Abstract

In this work, we numerically investigate the quasi-static shear behavior of ellipsoids under triaxial compression using the level set discrete element method (LS-DEM). Assemblies composed of ellipsoids with various aspect ratios are prepared at the densest states and then sheared to the critical state. Macroscopically, the stress and dilation behaviors are strongly affected by the particle shape, with the spheres having the least shear strength and dilatancy. At the particle scale, more ellipsoidal particles are more resistant to particle rotations and can effectively increase friction mobilizations.We identify the clusters in assemblies via the three-dimensional cluster labeling algorithm and then analyze the structural and mechanical properties of clusters. Based on our analysis, we find that the clusters exhibit the power-law decay in the cluster size distribution and have fractal structures. Upon shearing, the clusters tend to self-organize to gain mechanical stability, indicated by the increasing cluster stress ratio, and mainly support the deviatoric stresses in the assemblies. The mean cluster stress ratio is found to be linearly related to the macroscopic shear strength at the critical state, where more ellipsoidal shapes can gain higher cluster stress ratios, contributing to higher shear strength for the granular assembly. Microscopically, the cluster contributes more significantly to geometrical anisotropy terms while comparably to mechanical ones compared to the non-cluster.