Evolution of induced fabric in a strain space multiple mechanism model for granular materials

The strain space multiple mechanism model idealizes the behavior of granular materials based on a multitude of virtual simple shear mechanisms oriented in arbitrary directions. Within this modeling framework, the virtual simple shear stress is defined as a quantity that depends on the contact distribution function as well as the normal and tangential components of inter‐particle contact forces, which evolve independently during the loading process. In other terms, the virtual simple shear stress is an intermediate quantity in the upscaling process from the microscopic level (characterized by the contact distribution and inter‐particle contact forces). The stress space fabric (i.e. the orientation distribution of the virtual simple shear stress) produces macroscopic stress through the tensorial average. Thus, the stress space fabric characterizes the fundamental and higher modes of anisotropy induced in granular materials. Comparing an induced fabric associated with the biaxial shear of plane granular assemblies obtained via a simulation using Discrete Element Method to the strain space multiple mechanism model suggests that the strain space multiple mechanism model has the capability to capture the essential features in the evolution of an induced fabric in granular materials. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dilatancy of granular materials in a strain space multiple mechanism model

A 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.     

循环荷载下砂土液化特性颗粒流数值模拟

利用PFC2D常体积循环双轴试验条件,对砂土在不排水循环荷载作用下的液化特性进行了颗粒流数值模拟,数值模拟按等应力幅加荷方式进行。颗粒流数值模拟的优点在于得到试样液化宏观力学表现的同时,通过不同循环加荷时刻试样内细观组构参量（包括配位数、接触法向分布、粒间法向接触力、粒间切向接触力）的演化规律,分析砂土液化过程中细观组构变化与宏观力学响应之间的内在联系,从而可进一步探讨砂土液化的细观力学机制。数值模拟研究结果表明,砂土液化现象在宏观力学表现上反映为超静孔隙水压力的累积上升和平均有效主应力的不断减小,在细观组构上对应于配位数的累积损失和粒间接触力的不断减小。砂土液化细观机制分析表明,试样配位数的减少与循环加荷过程中组构各向异性滞后于应力各向异性有关。     

宏细观结合考虑主应力轴旋转的砂土破坏特性

采用宏细观结合各向异性破坏准则对主应力轴旋转条件下砂土的破坏特性进行分析。该准则是加载应力、组构各向异性程度和应力与组构几何关系3个因素的函数,可描述细观特性对任意应力旋转角度条件下破坏特性的影响。根据空心圆柱扭剪试验的特点推导一般正交坐标系下主应力轴旋转条件下的破坏关系式,考虑应力与砂土细观组构的几何关系,推导的关系式即可分析该条件下破坏特性。材料为各向异性时,主应力轴旋转造成破坏特性发生变化,细观各向异性程度越小变化越小;材料为各向同性时,则不会造成砂土破坏特性的变化。该式表明主应力轴旋转条件下不同破坏特性存在的根本原因是砂土各向异性的存在。采用空心圆柱试验结果进行验证,结果表明建立的关系式能较好描述不同应力加载角度条件下砂土的破坏特性。初步验证了由于砂土各向异性的存在使得主应力轴旋转造成了不同的破坏规律。     

Analysis of soil‐structural interface behavior using three‐dimensional DEM simulations

The shear behavior at the interface between the soil and a structure is investigated at the macroscale and particle‐scale levels using a 3‐dimensional discrete element method (DEM). The macroscopic mechanical properties and microscopic quantities affected by the normalized interface roughness and the loading parameters are analyzed. The macro‐response shows that the shear strength of the interface increases as the normalized roughness of the interface increases, and stress softening and dilatancy of the soil material are observed in the tests that feature rough interfaces. The particle‐scale analysis illustrates that a localized band characterized by intense shear deformation emerges from the contact plane and gradually expands as shearing progresses before stabilizing at the residual stress state. The thickness of the localized band is affected by the normalized roughness of the interface and the normal stress, which ranges between 4 and 5 times that of the median grain diameter. A thicker localized band is formed when the soil has a rough shearing interface. After the localized band appears, the granular material structuralizes into 2 regions: the interface zone and the upper zone. The mechanical behavior in the interface zone is representative of the interface according to the local average stress analysis. Certain microscopic quantities in the interface zone are analyzed, including the coordination number and the material fabric. Shear at the interface creates an anisotropic material fabric and leads to the rotation of the major principal stress.     

DEM study of fabric features governing undrained post-liquefaction shear deformation of sand

In an effort to study undrained post-liquefaction shear deformation of sand, the discrete element method (DEM) is adopted to conduct undrained cyclic biaxial compression simulations on granular assemblies consisting of 2D circular particles. The simulations are able to successfully reproduce the generation and eventual saturation of shear strain through the series of liquefaction states that the material experiences during cyclic loading after the initial liquefaction. DEM simulations with different deviatoric stress amplitudes and initial mean effective stresses on samples with different void ratios and loading histories are carried out to investigate the relationship between various mechanics- or fabric-related variables and post-liquefaction shear strain development. It is found that well-known metrics such as deviatoric stress amplitude, initial mean effective stress, void ratio, contact normal fabric anisotropy intensity, and coordination number, are not adequately correlated to the observed shear strain development and, therefore, could not possibly be used for its prediction. A new fabric entity, namely the Mean Neighboring Particle Distance (MNPD), is introduced to reflect the space arrangement of particles. It is found that the MNPD has an extremely strong and definitive relationship with the post-liquefaction shear strain development, showing MNPD’s potential role as a parameter governing post-liquefaction behavior of sand.     

A micromechanics-based model for estimating localized failure with effects of fabric anisotropy

This paper presents a micromechanics-based approach to investigate the effects of fabric anisotropy on the behavior of localized failure in granular materials. Based on a micromechanical analysis, the origin of deviatoric stress is decomposed into two components: contact force anisotropy and fabric anisotropy. Using a micro–macro approach, the back stress is interpreted as an contribution to the change of the fabric’s principal direction. The evolution of the back stress is deduced from the stress–fabric relationship and determined with reference to the deviation of the principal directions between the rate of the reduced stress tensor and the actual reduced stress tensor. With this micro–macro framework, a mixed (isotropic–kinematic) hardening model is developed based on the classical isotropic hardening theory. A laboratory simple shear test is first analyzed to validate the proposed model and illustrate the kinematic-hardening mechanism which is usually displayed under non-proportional loading. The analysis further focuses on the anisotropic aspect of localized failure. It has been discovered that the fabric anisotropy can play an important role in the occurrence of shear banding. An increasing degree of fabric anisotropy tends to delay the initiation of the strain localization and result in higher failure strength. The effects of fabric anisotropy have also been illustrated by comparing the theoretical predictions and measured results on the shear band inclination angle, shear strain level and dilatancy at bifurcation.     

A multiscale DEM-LBM analysis on permeability evolutions inside a dilatant shear band

This paper presents a multiscale analysis of a dilatant shear band using a three-dimensional discrete element method and a lattice Boltzmann/finite element hybrid scheme. In particular, three-dimensional simple shear tests are conducted via the discrete element method. A spatial homogenization is performed to recover the macroscopic stress from the micro-mechanical force chains. The pore geometries of the shear band and host matrix are quantitatively evaluated through morphology analyses and lattice Boltzmann/finite element flow simulations. Results from the discrete element simulations imply that grain sliding and rotation occur predominately with the shear band. These granular motions lead to dilation of pore space inside the shear band and increases in local permeability. While considerable anisotropy in the contact fabric is observed with the shear band, anisotropy of the permeability is, at most, modest in the assemblies composed of spherical grains.     

砂土的物态本构模型

基于砂土的压缩回胀性、剪切非线性及剪缩剪胀性的系统分析和包括循环荷载、主应力轴旋转及应力路径偏转等复杂应力条件下的复杂变形反应,得到了三类应力-应变基本关系。在剪缩剪胀应力-应变关系中,引入了由偏应变分量确定的应变路径长度变量,揭示了应力主轴旋转、应力路径偏转引起的剪缩剪胀性。将这些基本关系与循环荷载下砂土的物态变化相联系,建立了砂土的物态动本构关系。     

Numerical study on stress states and fabric anisotropies in soilbags using the DEM

Wrapping granular soils in geosynthetic containers, such as soilbags, results in a considerable increase in the bearing capacity due to the effective restraint on the dilatancy of the soil. This paper numerically investigates the stress states and fabric anisotropies in the wrapped soil using the discrete element method, providing a novel perspective for new insights into the reinforcement mechanisms and the development of constitutive relations for soilbags. The two most anticipated loading conditions, namely, unconfined compression and simple shear, are considered, and numerical predictions are compared to experimental results. During unconfined compression, both global and local p–q stress paths evolve linearly, having the same slope until the global failure of the wrapping geosynthetic. Under simple shear, the global stress path approaches the critical state line first and then turns to the compression line of the wrapped soil. Some local loading–unloading stress paths are observed, which may account for the high damping of soilbags during cyclic shear. The reduced fabric anisotropies of the normal and tangential force chains suggest greater confinement from the lateral sides of the geosynthetic container in either loading course. The performance and mechanisms of the soilbag earth reinforcement method, i.e., confinement and interlocking, can be better understood based on these new findings on the stress states and fabric anisotropies.     

圆形应力路径下软黏土的动力特性试验研究

实际交通荷载作用下,路基土单元内的竖向应力和水平应力大小不断发生变化,剪应力幅值和方向也不断变化,从而导致土体中的应力路径呈现出主应力轴连续旋转的现象。通过GDS空心圆柱扭剪仪模拟类似交通荷载作用下的应力路径,开展不同围压和不同循环应力比下的主应力轴连续旋转试验,旨在研究在交通荷载类轴向纯压缩条件下主应力轴方向连续旋转时循环应力比与围压对原状软黏土的强度、累积应变、回弹应变、软化等因素的影响。试验结果表明：随着孔压的不断累积,原状饱和软黏土试样逐渐软化,轴向模量和剪切模量均随着循环应力比和围压的增加而逐渐降低,并在主应力轴旋转一定的循环次数后达到稳定。当循环应力比较小时,轴向和剪切应力-应变滞回曲线均呈线性,不同主应力轴循环旋转次数下的轴向和剪切应力-应变滞回曲线近乎重合。随着主应力轴循环旋转次数的增加,轴向和剪切应力-应变滞回曲线越来越表现出明显的非线性,不同循环次数下试样的轴向和剪切应力-应变滞回圈不再重合且滞回圈逐渐向x轴倾斜。随着循环应力比的增加,在主应力轴连续旋转初期,轴向模量和剪切模量迅速衰减,且随着循环次数的增加而达到稳定,并且试样的轴向模量和剪切模量达到稳定时的主应力轴连续旋转的循环次数随循环应力比和围压的增大而不断增大。     

考虑不同波形影响的主应力轴连续旋转下吹填土动力特性研究

通过GCTS空心圆柱扭剪仪,分别采用正弦波和三角波两种不同波形模拟海洋波浪的加载形式,对天津滨海吹填土进行一系列三向等压固结条件下的主应力轴循环旋转试验,探讨了动主应力方向连续旋转下循环剪应力幅值及振动波形对吹填土广义剪应变、动强度和孔压特性的影响.试验结果表明,循环剪应力幅值小于临界循环剪应力时,土体广义剪应变变化很...     

主应力轴旋转下K0固结饱和粉质黏土孔压及变形特性试验研究

主应力旋转将加速孔压和塑性应变的累积,影响土体的力学特性。为研究主应力轴循环旋转对 固结饱和粉质黏土孔压和变形的影响,利用GDS-HCA试验系统开展了不同应力路径的 固结饱和粉质黏土不排水循环三轴试验和循环扭剪试验,研究了主应力轴循环旋转对 固结饱和粉质黏土累积塑性应变、孔压等动力特性的影响。结果表明：动剪应力幅值、心形应力路径所包围的面积、循环偏应力幅值等均随循环剪应力比和循环动应力比的增大而增大。试样未发生破坏时, 固结饱和粉质黏土的孔压比随着振动荷载作用次数的增加而增大;当试样发生破坏时,孔隙压力迅速消散,孔压比急剧下降。循环扭剪试验时试件产生的轴向累积塑性应变始终大于循环三轴试验产生的累积塑性应变,说明主应力轴循环旋转会加速试件轴向应变的累积。试件的累积塑性应变随循环剪应力比和循环动应力比的增大而增大。循环动应力比越大时,主应力轴旋转造成的轴向累积塑性应变差异越显著。在Monismith幂次函数模型的基础上,建立了主应力轴循环旋转条件时K0固结饱和粉质黏土累积塑性应变方程,并对模型的可靠性进行了分析和验证。     

On statistical description of stress and fabric in granular materials

The notion of overall macroscopic stress in granular masses is examined from a fundamental point of view by a statistical consideration of the contact forces that are transmitted by the contacting granules at the microscale. This examination leads in a natural way to relations between the macroscopic stress and the resulting granular fabric. The overall stresses are expressed in terms of the contact forces in two different but complementary ways: (1) by a statistical averaging over the sample volume of contact forces and “branches” which are vectors connecting the centroids of two contacting granules; and (2) by defining the overall tractions transmitted across an interior imagined plane as the sum of the contact forces which represent the mechanical effect of granules on one side of a unit area of this plane, upon those on the other side. Conditions under which the two representations of overall stresses are equivalent, are examined in detail. In addition, explicit results are given, which, define stresses in terms of the fabric and other microstructural characteristics of the granular mass.     

Effect of particle friction and polydispersity on the macroscopic stress–strain relations of granular materials

The macroscopic mechanical behavior of granular materials inherently depends on the properties of particles that compose them. Using the discrete element method, the effect of particle contact friction and polydispersity on the macroscopic stress response of 3D sphere packings is studied. The analytical expressions for the pressure, coordination number and fraction of rattlers proposed for isotropically deformed frictionless systems also hold when the interparticle coefficient of friction is finite; however, the numerical values of the parameters such as the jamming volume fraction change with varying microscopic contact and particle properties. The macroscopic response under deviatoric loading is studied with triaxial test simulations. Concerning the shear strength, our results agree with previous studies showing that the deviatoric stress ratio increases with particle coefficient of friction μ starting from a nonzero value for μ = 0 and saturating for large μ. On the other hand, the volumetric strain does not have a monotonic dependence on the particle contact friction. Most notably, maximum compaction is reached at an intermediate value of the coefficient of friction μ ≈ 0.3. The effect of polydispersity on the macroscopic stress–strain relationship cannot be studied independent of initial packing conditions. The shear strength increases with polydispersity when the initial volume fraction is fixed, but the effect of polydispersity is much less pronounced when the initial pressure of the packings is fixed. Finally, a simple hypoplastic constitutive model is calibrated with numerical test results following an established procedure to ascertain the relation between particle properties and material coefficients of the macroscopic model. The calibrated model is in good qualitative agreement with simulation results.     

砂土多机构边界面塑性模型及其试验验证

根据Iai多重剪切机构塑性模型及边界面塑性模型的特点,建立了一个砂土多机构边界面塑性模型。该模型将土复杂的变形机理分解为体积机理和一系列简单的剪切机理。用边界面弹塑性模型模拟多重剪切机构塑性模型中虚拟单剪机构,避免了Iai多重剪切机构塑性模型在利用修正Masing准则模拟虚拟单剪应力-应变关系时确定比例参数的复杂性。根据大量试验资料,建立了液化面参数与归一累积剪切功的关系,能够用较少的参数很好地建立有效应力路径。由于多重机理的特性,该模型能够模拟复杂荷载作用下主应力轴偏转的影响。试验结果表明,应用该模型的计算结果与试验结果有较好的一致性。     

Discrete element modelling of material non‐coaxiality in simple shear flows

We investigate the quasi‐static simple shear flow of a two‐dimensional assembly of cohesionless particles using discrete element method (DEM) simulations. We focus on the unsteady flow regime where the solid would experience significant evolution of stresses, mobilised shear strength and dilation. We construct the DEM model using a discretised‐wall confined granular cell where the apparent boundary is allowed to dilate or contract synchronously with the confined solid. A rather uniform simple shear field is achieved across the whole assembly, which benefits rheological studies in generalising constitutive laws for continuum methods. We examine two aspects of the simple shear behaviour: macroscopic stress and strain rate evolution, particularly the non‐coaxiality between the principal directions of the two; and micromechanics such as evolution of fabric. For an initially anisotropic specimen sheared under constant normal pressure, the direction of principal stress rotates towards that of the principal strain rate, gradually reducing the degree of non‐coaxiality from about 45° to fluctuating around 0°. The rate in approaching coaxiality is slower in samples with larger initial porosity, stress ratio and mean stress. Generally, a faster rate in approaching coaxiality in simple shear is observed in a more dilatant sample, which often shows a larger degree of mobilised fabric anisotropy, suggesting the possible important role of instantaneous internal friction angle. The evolution of principal fabric direction resembles that of the principal stress direction. © 2013 The Authors. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discrete element modelling of cyclic behaviour of granular materials

Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) of cyclic behavior of granular material has been attempted to understand liquefaction behavior of sands. A series of cyclic biaxial tests in both undrained and drained conditions with constant stress and strain amplitudes were performed on assemblage of loose and dense systems. Tests are conducted on monodisperse (uniform) and polydisperse (well graded) samples. From this study, it has been shown that DEM can simulate the cyclic behavior of sands very satisfactorily. Characteristic features, i.e., occurrence of large plastic strains and changing over from contractile to dilative behavior beyond the phase transformation angle, anisotropy of reduced strength on the extension side etc are very well reflected in numerical simulations. Liquefaction of loose assemblage seems to be mainly due to continued and cumulative loss of co-ordination number under each cycle as there is a reversal of loading direction and hence a continuous reorientation of fabric. There is no cumulative loss of co-ordination number in dense states because the stress ratios are mostly higher than the phase transformation level where the fabric has reached a limiting orientation. Micro mechanical explanations to the macroscopic behavior of the disc assemblage under cyclic loading are presented in terms of the force and fabric anisotropy coefficients.     

On the capillary stress tensor in wet granular materials

This paper presents a micromechanical study of unsaturated granular media in the pendular regime, based on numerical experiments using the discrete element method, compared with a microstructural elastoplastic model. Water effects are taken into account by adding capillary menisci at contacts and their consequences in terms of force and water volume are studied. Simulations of triaxial compression tests are used to investigate both macro and micro‐effects of a partial saturation. The results provided by the two methods appear to be in good agreement, reproducing the major trends of a partially saturated granular assembly, such as the increase in the shear strength and the hardening with suction. Moreover, a capillary stress tensor is exhibited from capillary forces by using homogenization techniques. Both macroscopic and microscopic considerations emphasize an induced anisotropy of the capillary stress tensor in relation with the pore fluid distribution inside the material. Insofar as the tensorial nature of this fluid fabric implies shear effects on the solid phase associated with suction, a comparison has been made with the standard equivalent pore pressure assumption. It is shown that water effects induce microstructural phenomena that cannot be considered at the macro level, particularly when dealing with material history. Thus, the study points out that unsaturated soil stress definitions should include, besides the macroscopic stresses such as the total stress, the microscopic interparticle stresses such as the ones resulting from capillary forces, in order to interpret more precisely the implications of the pore fluid on the mechanical behaviour of granular materials. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于临界状态模型的砂土非共轴本构模拟

传统的砂土本构理论隐含了应力和塑性应变率的共轴条件,无法客观描述主应力轴旋转试验中的非共轴现象,并且当密度和围压变化较大时也不适用。基于材料状态相关砂土临界状态概念,将Pietruszczak和Stolle所提出的砂土本构模型进行了改进,并在模型中引入非共轴塑性流动理论来描述非共轴现象。通过对单剪试验和空心圆柱试验进行数值模拟,表明基于临界状态理论的非共轴模型能够合理描述主应力轴旋转过程中砂土的非共轴变形特性