Chemo‐mechanics of cemented granular solids subjected to precipitation and dissolution of mineral species

This paper studies the chemo‐mechanics of cemented granular solids in the context of continuum thermodynamics for fluid‐saturated porous media. For this purpose, an existing constitutive model formulated in the frame of the Breakage Mechanics theory is augmented to cope with reactive processes. Chemical state variables accounting for the reactions between the solid constituents and the solutes in the pore fluid are introduced to enrich the interactions among the microstructural units simulated by the model (i.e., grains and cement bonds). Two different reactive processes are studied (i.e., grain dissolution and cement precipitation), using the chemical variables to describe the progression of the reactions and track changes in the size of grains and bonds. Finally, a homogenization strategy is used to derive the energy potentials of the solid mixture, adopting probability density functions that depend on both mechanical and chemical indices. It is shown that the connection between the statistics of the micro‐scale attributes and the continuum properties of the solid enables the mathematical capture of numerous mechanical effects of lithification and chemical deterioration, such as changes in stiffness, expansion/contraction of the elastic domain, and development of inelastic strains during reaction. In particular, the model offers an interpretation of the plastic strains generated by aggressive environments, which are here interpreted as an outcome of chemically driven debonding and comminution. As a result, the model explains widely observed macroscopic signatures of geomaterial degradation by reconciling the energetics of the deformation/reaction processes with the evolving geometry of the microstructural attributes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于CLoE与Gudehus-Bauer亚塑性模型的颗粒材料应变局部化对比研究

基于CLoE与Gudehus-Bauer亚塑性模型数值模拟了平面应变条件下Hostun砂的应变局部化现象。从侧向压力和初始缺陷两个方面对比研究了两种模型所预测应变局部化的产生及演化模式。结果表明：（1）两种模型均能反映Hostun砂刚度随着侧向压力提高而增大的现象。（2）相比Gudehus-Bauer亚塑性模型,CLoE亚塑性模型所得出的应变局部化形态与试验结果更加一致。（3）CLoE亚塑性模型能够反映随着荷载增加,砂的体积先膨胀后缩小的特点。（4）相比Gudehus-Bauer亚塑性模型,CLoE亚塑性模型所得到的应变-应力曲线能够更明显地反映应变局部化带中单元的软化现象。（5）CLoE亚塑性模型能够更好地模拟由初始缺陷导致的不均匀应变。总的来说,所得的数值结果表明,CLoE亚塑性模型能够较好地模拟侧向压力和初始缺陷对应变局部化的影响,在模拟应变局部化现象方面较Gudehus-Bauer更有优势。然而,现有CLoE亚塑性模型无法考虑孔隙比,也未包含颗粒材料内尺度变量,有待进一步完善。     

颗粒材料剪胀性的微观力学分析

剪胀性是颗粒材料在加载过程中表现出来的重要变形特性。以孔隙胞元描述颗粒材料内部结构的最小单元,通过对单个孔隙胞元进行剪切受力分析,探讨了剪切过程中颗粒材料体积的改变对应力比和单个孔隙胞元形状的依赖关系,解释了排列密实的颗粒材料在剪切过程中先压缩后剪胀的微观机制。用离散元数值模拟得到了在双轴剪切过程中单个孔隙胞元形状以及孔隙胞元体积变形的演化过程。离散元数值结果表明,加载过程中孔隙胞元形状由初始各向同性到沿大主应力方向变大变长、体积变形先压缩后膨胀,并且体积变形在加载过程中存在局部化现象,体积变化大的孔隙胞元在较大变形时,排列成倾斜的窄带。综合孔隙胞元的受力分析和离散元数值结果表明,致密排列颗粒材料的剪胀性与微观尺度上孔隙胞元的几何结构及其内部的力链传递方式密切相关。     

基于应变响应包络的颗粒材料增量力学行为研究

砂土的力学响应具有显著的增量非线性特征,这与离散颗粒的微观结构,即组构特性密不可分。采用应变响应包络可以较好地获得材料在不同加载方向上的增量力学响应。在物理试验中无法同时获得同一试样在不同加载方向下的宏、微观响应,故采用离散元方法,对具有不同应力历史、不同应力状态和不同级配的试样在Rendulic平面上的增量力学响应进行了系统研究和分析。离散元模拟结果表明,传统的塑性理论不能很好地描述具有复杂应力历史试样的增量力学响应,而基于颗粒间接触法向的组构增量与剪应变之间在多种不同的工况条件下均具有较强的线性相关性。当砂土的相对密实度相同时,该线性系数主要与围压的大小有关,对颗粒级配、应力历史以及应力比的变化均不敏感。由于组构的大小可以较好地量化砂土的内结构各向异性程度,进而表征应力历史的作用。上述模拟结果为在本构建模中引入组构演化机制,综合反映外荷载和内结构各向异性对砂土增量本构关系的影响提供了较好的微观物理依据。     

Modelling strain localization in granular materials using micropolar theory: mathematical formulations

It has been known that classical continuum mechanics laws fail to describe strain localization in granular materials due to the mathematical ill‐posedness and mesh dependency. Therefore, a non‐local theory with internal length scales is needed to overcome such problems. The micropolar and high‐order gradient theories can be considered as good examples to characterize the strain localization in granular materials. The fact that internal length scales are needed requires micromechanical models or laws; however, the classical constitutive models can be enhanced through the stress invariants to incorporate the Micropolar effects. In this paper, Lade's single hardening model is enhanced to account for the couple stress and Cosserat rotation and the internal length scales are incorporated accordingly. The enhanced Lade's model and its material properties are discussed in detail; then the finite element formulations in the Updated Lagrangian Frame (UL) are used. The finite element formulations were implemented into a user element subroutine for ABAQUS (UEL) and the solution method is discussed in the companion paper. The model was found to predict the strain localization in granular materials with low dependency on the finite element mesh size. The shear band was found to reflect on a certain angle when it hit a rigid boundary. Applications for the model on plane strain specimens tested in the laboratory are discussed in the companion paper. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

颗粒材料数值样本的坐标排序生成技术

颗粒材料离散颗粒模型的数值模拟结果与颗粒材料的数值样本密切相关,随着离散单元在颗粒材料数值模拟领域的广泛应用,颗粒材料的数值样本生成技术日益受到重视。基于RSA模型研究如何使随机生成的颗粒材料更密实,对均匀颗粒而言亦即如何在指定区域内生成更多的颗粒,讨论了4类修正方案,并建议了一种基于坐标排序的样本生成技术。研究表明,在传统的颗粒体随机生成技术基础上,通过对随机生成的x坐标序列或y坐标序列进行排序,可使生成的颗粒材料数值样本更密实。     

A numerical investigation of the incremental behavior of crushable granular soils

The mechanical behavior of granular materials is characterized by strong nonlinearity and irreversibility. These properties have been differently described by a variety of constitutive models. To test any constitutive model, experimental data relative to the nature of the incremental stress–strain response of the material is desirable. However, this type of laboratory data is scarce because of being expensive and difficult to obtain. The discrete element method has been used several times as an alternative to obtain incremental responses of granular materials. Crushable grains add one extra source of irreversibility to granular materials. Crushability has been variously incorporated into different constitutive models. Again, it will be helpful to obtain incremental responses of crushable granular materials to test these models, but the experimental difficulties are increased. Making use of a recently introduced crushing model for discrete element simulation, this paper presents a new procedure to obtain incremental responses in discrete analogs of granular crushable materials. The parallel probe approach, previously used for uncrushable discrete analogs, is here extended to account for the presence of crushable grains. The contribution of grain crushing to the incremental irreversible strain is identified and separately measured. Robustness of the proposed method is examined in detail, paying particular attention to aspects such as dynamic instability or crushing localization. The proposed procedure is later applied to map incremental responses of a discrete analog of Fontainebleau sand on the triaxial plane. The effect of stress ratio and granular state on plastic flow characteristics is highlighted. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于接触价键的颗粒材料微观临界状态

用颗粒离散元法,分别对二维圆形、椭圆形颗粒体进行了双轴压缩数值模拟。微观尺度的变形是基于孔隙胞元和其中的变形来计算的,而单个孔隙胞元的变形通过周围颗粒的相对运动来计算。针对该方法提出了以接触价键（每个孔隙胞元的边数）来表征颗粒材料微观临界状态的理论。为了定义临界接触价键的极限值,分别讨论了摩擦系数较大、较小时的两种情况。文中给出了微观几何织构（包括接触价键、孔隙胞元的形状、孔隙比）随压缩变形的演变过程,比较了不同颗粒形状、颗粒间摩擦系数以及颗粒体的固结压力对颗粒体的微观力学性能的影响。计算结果表明,颗粒材料的微观临界状态并不是可以唯一表征的,而是受围压、摩擦系数,颗粒形状等参数的共同影响。     

Statistical analysis of stress transmission in wet granular materials

The micromechanics of wet granular materials encompasses complex microstructural and capillary interconnects that can be readily described through a formal derivation of stress transmission in such a 3‐phase medium. In the quest for defining an appropriate stress measure, the stress tensor expression that results from homogenization [Duriez et al. J Mech Phys Solids 99 (2017): 495‐511] of such a medium provides theoretical insights necessary to extract useful information on the relationship between capillary effects and microforce interactions via several small‐scale parameters whose evaluation can be challenging. Using instead a statistical approach where microvariable distributions are described by probability density functions, the current study provides simple estimates of stress components in terms of only a few tractable microvariables such as coordination number and fabric anisotropy. In particular, the latter recognizes details of contacts such as force interactions being either mechanical or capillary, including interactions with and without mechanical contact. The developed expressions are in a good agreement with discrete element method simulation results of the triaxial loading of a wet granular assembly, notably for hydrostatic (mean) pressure. A new set of dimensionless groups is also identified to characterize the significance of mechanical and capillary physics, which facilitates a better understanding of the contribution of dominating elements to stress, while also providing the opportunity to incorporate important capillary effects in micromechanically based constitutive formulations.     

Deterministic and statistical size effect during shearing of granular layer within a micro‐polar hypoplasticity

The paper deals with numerical investigations of a deterministic and statistical size effect in granular bodies during quasi‐static shearing of an infinite layer under plane strain conditions, free dilatancy and constant pressure. For a simulation of the mechanical behaviour of a cohesionless granular material during a monotonous deformation path, a micro‐polar hypoplastic constitutive relation was used which takes into account particle rotations, curvatures, non‐symmetric stresses, couple stresses and the mean grain diameter as a characteristic length. The proposed model captures the essential mechanical features of granular bodies in a wide range of densities and pressures with a single set of constants. In the paper, a deterministic and statistical size effect is analysed. The deterministic calculations were carried out with an uniform distribution of the initial void ratio for four different heights of the granular layer: 5, 50, 500 and 2000 mm. To investigate the statistical size effect, the Monte Carlo method was applied. The random distribution of the initial void ratio was assumed to be spatially correlated. Truncated Gaussian random fields were generated in a granular layer using an original conditional rejection method. The sufficient number of samples was determined by analysing the convergence of the outcomes. In order to reduce the number of realizations without losing the accuracy of the calculations, stratified and Latin hypercube methods were applied. A parametric analysis of these methods was also presented. Some general conclusions were formulated. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-dimensional discrete element method parallel computation of Cauchy stress distribution over granular materials

The paper presents Cauchy stress tensor computation over parallel grids of message passing interface (MPI) parallel three-dimensional (3D) discrete element method (DEM) simulations of granular materials, considering spherical and nonspherical particles. The stress tensor computation is studied for quasi-static and dynamic conditions, and its resulting symmetry or asymmetry is discussed within the context of classical continuum mechanics (CCM), granular materials mechanics (GMM), and micropolar continuum mechanics (MCM). The average Cauchy stress tensor computation follows Bagi's and Nicot's formulations and is verified within MPI parallel 3D DEM simulations involving dynamically adaptive compute grids. These grids allow calculation of temporal and spatial distributions of stress across granular materials under static and dynamic conditions. The vertical stress component in gravitationally deposited particle assemblies exhibits nonuniform spatial distributions under static equilibrium, and its zone of maximum value changes during the process of gravitational pluviation and collapse. These phenomena reveal a microstructural effect on stress distribution within granular materials that is attributed to their discrete particulate nature (particle size, shape, gradation, boundary conditions, etc).     

坡度对碎屑流冲击立式拦挡墙力学特征的影响

由坡度和挡墙倾角的改变造成碎屑流冲击力学模型的改变是目前被忽略的问题。在碎屑流冲击倾式拦挡墙物理试验的基础上,利用离散元数值计算方法研究了坡度对碎屑流冲击立式拦挡墙（墙面与地面的夹角为90°）力学特征的影响,依据死区颗粒堆积特征,流动层颗粒冲击特征以及二者的相互作用特征提出了两种新力学模型：由倾斜冲击挡墙向坡面堆积转变的力学模型和考虑流动层对死区冲切摩擦作用的水平直接冲击力学模型。对不同冲击力学模型进行了验证分析,结果表明：坡度和挡墙倾角改变了死区的堆积特征从而改变了流动层的冲击方向和冲击力大小。当坡度小于40°时,碎屑流流动层首先沿死区上覆面倾斜冲击挡墙,在最大冲击力作用时刻,流动在坡面层状堆积,最大法向冲击合力可按静土压力公式估算。随着坡度的增大,在最大冲击力时刻,流动层颗粒直接冲击挡墙,但由于死区颗粒对流动层颗粒具有摩擦缓冲减速作用,大幅降低了流动层对挡墙的直接冲击力。此时死区对挡墙的作用力主要包括3个部分：流动层沿坡面冲击死区,由死区传递至挡墙的冲击力、流动层对死区的冲切摩擦力以及死区自重的静土压力。死区对挡墙作用力占最大法向冲击合力的比例增大至90%左右。当坡度由40°增大到50°时,在最大法向冲击合力作用时刻,流动层对死区的冲切摩擦力占最大冲击力的比例由15%增大到49%,流动层与死区之间的摩擦系数由滚动摩擦系数转变为静摩擦系数。提出的流动层对死区的冲切摩擦力为碎屑流冲击刚性挡墙力学计算模型提供了新的研究思路。     

From bifurcation to failure in a granular material: a DEM analysis

The question of diffuse failure in granular media such as soils is treated by numerical modelling with a discrete element model. Two numerical samples are considered, one dense and the other loose. A criterion based on the sign of the second-order work is applied to the numerical model to detect bifurcation points related to diffuse failure. The notions of loss of controllability and loss of sustainability are taken into account to simulate diffuse failure at bifurcation points detected. Therefore, the failures predicted based on the second-order work criterion are numerically verified.     

Discrete element modeling of direct shear tests for a granular material

A succinct 3D discrete element model, with clumps to resemble the real shapes of granular materials, is developed. The quaternion method is introduced to transform the motion and force of a clump between local and global coordinates. The Hertz–Mindlin elastic contact force model, incorporated with the nonlinear normal viscous force and the Mohr–Coulomb friction law, is used to describe the interactions between particles. The proposed discrete element model is used to simulate direct shear tests of the irregular limestone rubbles. The simulation results of vertical displacements and shear stresses with a mixture of clumps are compared well with that of laboratory tests. The bulk friction coefficients are calculated and discussed under different contact friction coefficients and normal stresses. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Revisiting the existence of an effective stress for wet granular soils with micromechanics

A possible effective stress variable for wet granular materials is numerically investigated based on an adapted discrete element method (DEM) model for an ideal three‐phase system. The DEM simulations consider granular materials made of nearly monodisperse spherical particles, in the pendular regime with the pore fluid mixture consisting of distinct water menisci bridging particle pairs. The contact force‐related stress contribution to the total stresses is isolated and tested as the effective stress candidate for dense or loose systems. It is first recalled that this contact stress tensor is indeed an adequate effective stress that describes stress limit states of wet samples with the same Mohr‐Coulomb criterion associated with their dry counterparts. As for constitutive relationships, it is demonstrated that the contact stress tensor used in conjunction with dry constitutive relations does describe the strains of wet samples during an initial strain regime but not beyond. Outside this so‐called quasi‐static strain regime, whose extent is much greater for dense than loose materials, dramatic changes in the contact network prevent macroscale contact stress‐strain relationships to apply in the same manner to dry and unsaturated conditions. The presented numerical results also reveal unexpected constitutive bifurcations for the loose material, related to stick‐slip macrobehavior.     

Numerical simulation of bolt‐supported tunnels by means of a multiphase model conceived as an improved homogenization procedure

This paper examines the possibility of applying a homogenization procedure to analyze the convergence of a tunnel reinforced by bolts, regarded as periodically distributed linear inclusions. Owing to the fact that a classical homogenization method fails to account for the interactions prevailing between the bolts and the surrounding ground and thus tends to significantly overestimate the reinforcement effect in terms of convergence reduction, a so‐called multiphase model is presented and developed, aimed at improving the classical homogenization method. Indeed, according to this model, the bolt‐reinforced ground is represented at the macroscopic scale as the superposition of two mutually interacting continuous phases, describing the ground and the reinforcement network, respectively. It is shown that such a multiphase approach can be interpreted as an extension of the homogenization procedure, thus making it possible to capture the ground–reinforcement interaction in a proper way, provided the constitutive parameters of the model and notably those relating to the interaction law can be identified from the reinforced ground characteristics. The numerical implementation of this model in a finite element method‐based computer code is then carried out, and a first illustrative application is finally presented. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Load‐displacement and bearing capacity of foundations on granular soils using a multi‐surface kinematic constitutive soil model

A finite element approach based on an advanced multi‐surface kinematic constitutive model is used to evaluate the bearing capacity of footings resting on granular soils. Unlike simple elastic‐perfectly plastic models, often applied to granular foundation problems, the present model realistically accounts for stress dependency of the friction angle, strain softening–hardening and non‐associativity. After the model and its implementation into a finite element code are briefly discussed, the numerical difficulty due to the singularity at the footing edge is addressed. The bearing capacity factor N_γ is then calculated for different granular materials. The effect of footing size, shape, relative density and roughness on the ultimate bearing capacity are studied and the computed results compare very favourably with the general experimental trends. In addition, it is shown that the finite element solution can clearly represent counteracting mechanisms of progressive failure which have an important effect on the bearing capacity of granular foundations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大型整体式贮煤筒仓基础有限元分析

采用有限元分析了不同土体的弹性本构关系和不同堆煤荷载施加方式对筒仓基础的影响;在此基础上分析了煤压力、桩土之间的接触压力、桩的内力与变形、土体沉降等变化规律。从计算结果可知,考虑土体的弹性模量随土层的压实而提高,并考虑煤与筒仓、基础土体之间的相互作用,使得筒仓基础的受力状态与实际情况更接近,从而得到优化的筒仓基础设计。     

DEM modelling of cone penetration tests in a double-porosity crushable granular material

A three-dimensional discrete element model is used to investigate the effect of grain crushing on the tip resistance measured by cone penetration tests (CPT) in calibration chambers. To do that a discrete analogue of pumice sand, a very crushable microporous granular material, is created. The particles of the discrete model are endowed with size-dependent internal porosity and crushing resistance. A simplified Hertz–Mindlin elasto-frictional model is used for contact interaction. The model has 6 material parameters that are calibrated using one oedometer test and analogies with similar geomaterials. The calibration is validated reproducing other element tests. To fill a calibration chamber capable of containing a realistic sized CPT the discrete analogue is up-scaled by a factor of 25. CPT is then performed at two different densities and three different confinement pressures. Cone tip resistance in the crushable material is practically insensitive to initial density, as had been observed in previous physical experiments. The same CPT series is repeated but now particle crushing is disabled. The ratios of cone tip resistance between the two types of simulation are in good agreement with previous experimental comparisons of hard and crushable soils. Microscale exploration of the models indicates that crushing disrupts the buttressing effect of chamber walls on the cone.