Experimental and numerical investigation into surface strength of mine tailings after biopolymer stabilization

Penetration test has been a promising technique for characterizing the surface strength of a crusted surface. This paper presents an experimental and numerical investigation of using a flat-ended penetrometer to evaluate the surface strength of mine tailings (MT) treated with biopolymer solutions of different concentrations. The experimental results show that the infiltration depth of biopolymer solution into dry MT decreases with the increase in biopolymer concentration. Biopolymer stabilization effectively increases the surface strength and cracking resistance of MT, and the increase is greater when the biopolymer concentration is higher. To further explore how biopolymer stabilization increases the surface strength and crack resistance of MT, numerical simulations using discrete element method were carried out to study the penetration tests on MT treated with biopolymer solutions of different concentrations. The simulation results show that the inter-particle tensile and shear strengths both increase with higher biopolymer concentration, indicating that more biopolymer induces larger inter-particle bonding and thus increases the surface strength of MT. The simulation results also confirm the delayed formation of cracks on MT after biopolymer stabilization from a microscale perspective, leading to a better understanding of biopolymer stabilization of MT.     

A simple three‐dimensional distinct element modeling of the mechanical behavior of bonded sands

This paper presents a simple three‐dimensional (3D) Distinct Element Method (DEM) for numerical simulation of the mechanical behavior of bonded sands. First, a series of micro‐mechanical tests on a pair of aluminum rods glued together by cement with different bond sizes were performed to obtain the contact mechanical responses of ideally bonded granular material. Second, a 3D bond contact model, which takes into account the influences of bond sizes, was established by extending the obtained 2D experimental results to 3D case. Then, a DEM incorporating the new contact model was employed to perform a set of drained triaxial compression tests on the DEM bonded specimens with different cement contents under different confining pressures. Finally, the mechanical behavior of the bonded specimens was compared with the available experimental results. The results show that the DEM incorporating the simple 3D bond contact model is able to capture the main mechanical behavior of bonded sands. The bonded specimen with higher cement content under lower confining pressure exhibits more pronounced strain softening and shear dilatancy. The peak and residual strengths, the apparent cohesion and peak/residual friction angles, and the position and slope of the critical state line increase with increase in cement content. Microscopically, bond breakage starts when the system starts to dilate and the maximum rate of bond breakage coincides with the maximum rate of dilation. Bond breakage is primarily due to tension‐shear failure and the percentage of such failures is independent of both confining pressure and cement content. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental characterization and 3D DEM simulation of bond breakages in artificially cemented sands with different bond strengths when subjected to triaxial shearing

This paper describes the mechanical behavior of artificially cemented sands with strong, intermediate, and weak bond strengths, using experimentation and 3D discrete element method (DEM) simulation. The focus is on the features of bond breakage and the associated influences on the stress–strain responses. Under triaxial shearing, the acoustic emission rate captured in the experiment and the bond breakage rate recorded in the simulations show resemblance to the stress–strain response, especially for strongly and intermediately cemented samples, where a strain softening response is observed. The simulations further reveal the shear band formation coincides with the development of bond breakage locations due to the local weakness caused by the bond breakages. Strain softening and volumetric dilation are observed inside the shear band, while the region outside the shear band undergoes elastic unloading. The weakly cemented sample exhibits a strain hardening response instead; bond breakages and the associated local weaknesses are always randomly formed such that no persistent shear band is observed. Note that in the DEM simulation, the flexible membrane boundary is established by a network of bonded membrane particles; the membrane particle network is further partitioned into finite triangular elements. The associated algorithm can accurately distribute the applied confining pressure onto the membrane particles and determine the sample volume.     

DEM analyses of one-dimensional compression and collapse behaviour of unsaturated structural loess

Natural loess is a kind of under-consolidated and unsaturated loose granulates (silts) with its microstructure characterized with large voids and inter-particle cementation. This paper presents a distinct element method (DEM) to investigate its macro- and micro-mechanical behaviour (compression and collapse behaviour) under one-dimensional (1D) compression condition. A relationship between bond strength in DEM model and initial water content is used to develop a bond contact model for loess. Then, DEM structural loess samples are prepared by the multi-layer under-compaction method, and cemented with the bond contact model. The effect of water content and void ratio on compression and collapse behaviour of loess is numerically investigated by simulating 1D compression and wetting tests on the DEM material. The DEM results agree qualitatively with available experimental observations in literatures. The wetting-induced deformation is independent of the sequence of wetting and loading under 1D compression condition. The macroscopic yielding and collapse behaviours are associated with bond breakage on microscopic scale. Moreover, bonds break in one of the two failure types in the simulations, i.e. tensile failure and shear failure (compression-shear failure and tension-shear failure), with bonds broken firstly mainly due to tension followed by shear when the samples are compressed, while mainly due to shear when the samples are wetted under a certain pressure. In addition, the contact orientations and deviator fabrics of contacts under 1D compression and wetting were also investigated.     

颗粒破碎对绢云母片岩强度和变形影响的试验研究

为进一步弄清颗粒破碎对软岩粗粒料强度、变形的影响,开展2组不同初始干密度下的绢云母片岩粗粒料的固结排水三轴试验,分析了绢云母片岩粗粒料颗粒破碎规律,并探讨了颗粒破碎对绢云母片岩粗粒料力学性质的影响。结果表明,绢云母片岩粗粒料相对破碎率随围压的增加而增大,但颗粒破碎增幅速率受初始干密度影响较大,颗粒破碎与围压之间的关系可用线性关系描述;由于初始孔隙率的影响,使得试样在同一应力水平下高密度试样颗粒破碎明显高于低密度试样;颗粒破碎对高密度试样抗剪强度降低的影响高于低密度试样,导致两种干密度试样的应力-应变曲线在某处出现相交,最终出现初始密度低的试样抗剪强度大于初始密度高的试样抗剪强度的现象;高密度试样孔隙率较小,其剪胀因子一直保持在1附近,而低密度试样孔隙率较大,受颗粒破碎和剪胀的影响迟缓一些,低密度试样体变较高密度要大些,但整体上由于颗粒破碎和剪胀的影响,绢云母片岩粗粒料的体变均不大。     

Numerical simulation of liquefaction behaviour of granular materials using Discrete Element Method

In this paper, numerical simulation of 3-dimensional assemblies of 1000 polydisperse sphere particles using Discrete Element Method (DEM) is used to study the liquefaction behaviour of granular materials. Numerical simulations of cyclic triaxial shear tests under undrained conditions are performed at different confining pressures under constant strain amplitude. Results obtained in these numerical simulations indicate that with increase in confining pressure there is an increase in liquefaction resistance.     

Changes in permeability of sand during triaxial loading: effect of fine particles production

Various mechanisms can affect the permeability of dense unconsolidated sands: Volumetric dilation can lead to permeability increase, whereas strain localization in shear bands may increase or decrease the permeability depending on the state of compaction and on the level of grains breakage inside the band. To investigate these various mechanisms, an experimental study has been performed to explore the effect of different factors such as grain size and grain shape, confining pressure, level of shear, stress path, and formation of one or several shear bands on the permeability of dense sands under triaxial loading. The experimental results show a reduction of permeability during the consolidation phase and during the volumetric contraction phase of shear loading, which can be related to the decrease of porosity. The experimental results also show that, depending on the confining pressure, the permeability remains stable or decreases during the volumetric dilation phase despite the increase of total porosity. This permeability reduction is attributed to the presence of fine particles, which result from grains attrition during pre-localization and grains breakage inside the shear band during the post-localization phase.     

颗粒破碎对钙质砂的应力-应变及强度影响研究

压力作用下颗粒发生破碎是引起砂土力学特性变化的重要因素之一, 对于钙质砂这种易破碎的材料更是如此。为进一步弄清颗粒破碎对钙质砂的应力-应变强度影响, 本文对钙质砂进行三轴固结排水剪切试验得到应力-应变曲线, 并筛分得到三轴试验前后钙质砂颗分曲线。通过引入Hardin定义的颗粒相对破碎率Br, 分析了相对密度、围压与颗粒破碎的关系及颗粒破碎对钙质砂应力-应变和抗剪强度的影响。结果表明:随围压的增大颗粒破碎增量逐渐减小, 直到破碎达到一个上限值, 此时围压和相对密度对颗粒破碎影响很小; 颗粒间的滑动标志着应力达到极限状态, 而颗粒破碎会阻碍应力达到极限状态, 在本实验中, 低围压时颗粒破碎少, 颗粒相对运动形式为滑移, 使应力-应变曲线为软化型, 高围压下颗粒破碎严重, 颗粒破碎在剪切过程中始终发生, 使应力-应变曲线呈应变硬化型; 颗粒破碎使体变从剪胀逐渐发展到剪缩, 且破碎越严重剪缩越严重; 在低围压下钙质砂强度主要由剪胀和咬合提供, 高围压下颗粒破碎严重, 剪胀消失, 咬合减小, 使峰值摩擦角减小, 抗剪强度降低。     

颗粒破碎及剪胀对钙质砂抗剪强度影响研究

钙质砂是海洋沉积物中的一种,富含碳酸钙或其他难溶碳酸盐类物质的特殊介质。由于其颗粒质脆,受力后易产生破碎,表现出与常规陆源砂不同的力学性质。通过对取自南沙群岛永暑礁附近海域的钙质砂进行三轴剪切试验,分析了钙质砂颗粒破碎与剪胀对其抗剪强度的影响。试验结果表明,颗粒破碎与剪胀对钙质砂强度有着重要影响,低围压下剪胀对其强度的影响远大于颗粒破碎,随着围压的增加,钙质砂颗粒破碎加剧,剪胀影响越来越小,而颗粒破碎的影响则越来越显著;颗粒破碎对强度的影响随着围压的增大而增大,当破碎达到一定程度后颗粒破碎渐趋减弱,其影响也渐趋于稳定。     

Evaluation of Shear Modulus and Damping Ratio of Granular Materials Using Discrete Element Approach

In this paper, an attempt has been made to highlight the influence of different parameters such as number of cycles, confining pressure, void ratio, gradation, initial anisotropy and stress path on the dynamic properties of granular materials using Discrete Element Method (DEM). A series of strain controlled cyclic triaxial numerical simulations using three dimensional DEM have been carried out on an assembly of spheres. Dynamic properties such shear modulus (G) and damping ratio (D) were determined from the typical hysteresis loop obtained during cyclic triaxial test simulation. It has been observed from the test results that the numerical simulation using DEM has captured the variation of dynamic properties over a wide range of shear strain values for different parameters considered for the current investigation. Maximum shear modulus (G _max) was found to be influenced by initial confining pressure, void ratio, gradation and initial anisotropy. Whereas, the damping ratio (D) was found to be influenced by number of cycles, initial confining pressure, gradation and stress path. Further it has been shown that the variation of shear modulus with shear strain can be divided into three distinct zones such as Isotropic Zone (IZ), Anisotropic Zone (AZ) and Stable Anisotropic Zone (SAZ). A drastic reduction of shear modulus with shear strain has been observed in the Anisotropic Zone (AZ). In addition, the results obtained using numerical simulations have been compared with the laboratory experimental values.     

钙质砂颗粒破碎对临界状态影响的试验研究

钙质砂的颗粒易碎性是造成其变形和强度特性不同于石英砂的重要性质。本文基于临界状态理论,通过一系列试验定量地描述钙质砂临界状态线随颗粒破碎的演化规律。本文试验分两个阶段进行:第1阶段研究了60~2000 kPa围压条件下钙质砂的力学特性和颗粒破碎特征;第2阶段以不同破碎率的试样为母本重塑制样,在100~300 kPa围压条件下,剪切至破碎临界状态线。试验结果表明:在较小围压(<300 kPa)条件下,松砂和密砂均表现出明显的剪胀和应变软化特性;而高围压(>1 MPa)条件下,显著的颗粒破碎会造成试样的持续剪缩;颗粒破碎存在明显围压阈值,对于松砂而言,在围压小于300 kPa条件下,颗粒基本不发生破碎;在e-lg p'平面内,破碎临界状态线的截距Δe_Γ和斜率λ_c均会随着修正相对破碎率B_r*的增大而减小,即颗粒破碎会使临界状态线发生下移和逆时针转动;而在q-p'平面内,钙质砂的临界状态点落在同一条直线上,即存在唯一的临界状态应力比M_cr和临界摩擦角φ_cr。     

钙质砂剪切特性的围压效应和粒径效应研究

为研究钙质砂剪切特性的围压效应和粒径效应,开展了在不同粒径、不同相对密实度以及不同围压条件下的三轴剪切试验,并引入应力相对软化系数和剪胀系数对应变软化特征及剪胀特征进行了定量表征。试验研究表明,随围压的增大,不同粒径钙质砂试样应变软化特征及剪胀特征逐渐减弱,且围压与应力相对软化系数和剪胀系数均呈半对数线性相关。不同粒径钙质砂试样存在一强度临界围压和体变临界围压分别使得应变软化特征和剪胀特征消失。在粒径为5～0.075 mm范围内,对松样而言,围压对软化特征和剪胀特征存在显著影响,但与粒径不存在显著相关性;对密样而言,随粒径逐渐减小,围压对试样软化特征的影响逐渐增强,而对试样剪胀特征的影响逐渐减弱。在低围压（50 kPa）条件下,0.5～0.25 mm粒径组试样破碎最显著。     

Study of mechanical behavior and strain localization of methane hydrate bearing sediments with different saturations by a new DEM model

This paper presents a numerical investigation into mechanical behavior and strain localization in methane hydrate (MH) bearing sediments using the distinct element method (DEM). Based on the results of a series of laboratory tests on the bonded granules idealized by two glued aluminum rods and the available experimental data of methane hydrate samples, a pressure and temperature dependent bond contact model was proposed and implemented into a two-dimensional (2D) DEM code. This 2D DEM code was then used to numerically carry out a series of biaxial compression tests on the MH samples with different methane hydrate saturations, whose results were then compared with the experimental data obtained by Masui et al. [9]. In addition, stress, strain, void ratio and velocity fields, the distributions of bond breakage and averaged pure rotation rate (APR) as well as the evolution of strain localization were examined to investigate the relationships between micromechanical variables and macromechanical responses in the DEM MH samples. The numerical results show that: (1) the shear strength increases as methane hydrate saturation S_MH increases, which is in good agreement with the experimental observation; (2) the strain localization in all the DEM MH samples develops with onset of inhomogeneity of void ratio, velocity, strain, APR, and distortion of stress fields and contact force chains; and (3) the methane hydrate saturation affects the type of strain localization, with one shear band developed in the case of 40.9% and 67.8% methane saturation samples, and two shear bands formed for 50.1% methane saturation sample.     

胶结充填体三轴压缩变形破坏及能量耗散特征分析

充填体的变形破坏、能量耗散与围压的变化密切相关,通过开展不同灰砂配比、浓度的充填体单轴、三轴压缩试验,基于系列试验结果,研究了不同围压加载阶段充填体的变形特征、破坏模式及能量耗散与围压的内在关系。结果表明,随着围压的增加,充填体的峰值应变随之增大,且两者呈线性相关;低围压时充填体呈现脆性破坏,表现为应变软化特征,随着围压增大,充填体由脆性向应变硬化转化,灰砂比越大、浓度越高,充填体发生脆-延性的临界围压值越大。充填体的破坏裂纹发展形式各异,大致可分为单一、平行、交叉和复合4种类型;宏观破坏表现主要呈“X”状、“Y”状剪切模式,破坏面的类型主要分为：直线式光滑摩擦面、圆弧式破碎摩擦面、直线式破碎摩擦面以及台阶式破碎摩擦面。充填体的峰值强度与围压也呈正线性相关,内摩擦角对灰砂比的敏感性要高于浓度。围压的增大能够相当程度上提高充填体各阶段的应变能,峰前、峰后能耗量、单位体积变形能以及总能耗与围压皆呈正相关性。     

粗粒料强度及变形特性的细观模拟

粗粒料是一定级配的岩石颗粒集合体,具有独特的物理力学特性。以粗粒料室内三轴固结排水试验成果为基础,基于离散元颗粒流理论,从细观角度出发,以PFC3D为工具,通过自编程及二次开发,得到按级配生成的粗粒料三轴试验数值模型。引入clump颗粒考虑颗粒形状对粗粒料强度及变形的影响,分析剪胀、颗粒形状、颗粒重排的关系。结果表明：颗粒形状是影响粗粒料强度与变形的主要因素,在其他细观参数一定的情况下,改变颗粒形状,可以显著影响粗粒料的力学行为;BPM模型的应力-应变关系只在低围压下与试验值吻合,随着围压的增大,偏差越来越大;而引入clump颗粒的PFC3D数值模型能很好地模拟粗粒料室内三轴固结排水试验的应力-应变特性,但由于BPM及clump都是刚性颗粒,没有考虑颗粒变形及破碎,造成应变剪胀偏大。     

不排水条件下钙质砂声发射试验研究

通过对钙质砂进行不排水条件下声发射试验,探讨了不同围压、剪切速率、初始孔隙比和级配下钙质砂声发射规律。试验结果表明:低围压（围压低于400 kPa）时,钙质砂声发射活动频率随着围压的升高而增加;围压增至800 kPa时,声发射活动频率有所下降。低剪切速率下,钙质砂剪切试验明显分为颗粒破碎阶段和颗粒滑移阶段,随着剪切速率增大,二者之间较模糊,不能明显区分;松散和密实状态下,钙质砂声发射活动规律相似,钙质砂声发射活动频率均高于中密状态钙质砂;级配较好的钙质砂,声发射率峰值出现在试样发生剪切破坏前;级配稍差,试样声发射率相对均匀,声发射率峰值出现在邻近试验结束时。      

碎石集料变形机理的块体元数值试验分析

块碎石作为道砟材料能够分散列车动荷载, 加之其内部含有大量空隙, 具有良好的对流换热特性, 作为冷却冻土路基的材料在青藏铁路建设中被广泛使用。但在列车荷载的作用下, 碎石集料会发生压密、 变形乃至破碎从而影响冷却效果。因此, 研究碎石层的变形过程及机理具有十分重要的现实意义。基于块体离散元法, 对块碎石集料的三轴剪切试验进行了数值分析, 将所得应力-应变曲线与室内试验结果进行了对比, 发现两者能较好地吻合, 说明块体离散元法能够较好地模拟块碎石集料的受力变形过程。结果表明： 增大围压或块体粒径, 块体单元受到的作用力加强, 集料的偏应力强度和抗剪强度值也随之增大。碎石块体在剪切作用下沿其接触面滑动分离, 形成X形剪切带是集料变形的主要形式, 此外在径向方向出现不同程度的扩张。基于试验和块体元研究路基碎石层的思路和方法可为今后评估青藏铁路碎石路基的热力稳定性提供理论依据和参数储备。     

基于微观胶结厚度模型的深海能源土宏观力学特性离散元分析

首先,引入蒋明镜等提出的考虑水合物胶结厚度的深海能源土粒间微观胶结模型,用以反映能源土颗粒之间水合物微观胶结接触力学特性;其次,采用C++语言将模型程序化,并将其引入离散单元法中;然后,对选定的水合物饱和度经过实际二维离散元模拟调算,得出相应的水合物胶结尺寸,以修正水合物临界胶结厚度、最小胶结厚度及胶结宽度,进而确定水合物微观胶结参数;最后,根据所确定的胶结参数,针对不同水合物饱和度试样进行能源土宏观力学特性离散元双轴试验模拟,并从应力-应变、体变、剪胀角等方面与Masui等所进行的能源土室内三轴试验进行对比分析。结果表明：采用考虑粒间胶结厚度的水合物微观胶结模型,能够定性反映深海能源土的宏观力学特性,能源土试样的峰值强度、黏聚力和剪胀角均随水合物饱和度的增加而增加,但水合物饱和度对内摩擦角的影响规律不明朗;能源土试样的峰值强度、残余强度及体积剪缩量随着有效围压的增大而增大;剪胀角随有效围压的增大而减小。     

高应力卸荷条件下砂岩扩容特征及其剪胀角函数

为研究高应力水平条件下岩石卸荷扩容特性及其剪胀角变化规律,开展了若干不同初始围压水平的三轴峰前卸围压试验,同时进行了相应围压水平的常规三轴压缩试验。基于试验成果分析了卸荷应力路径对砂岩扩容的影响效应,总结了卸荷应力路径下剪胀角变化规律,进而提出了基于卸荷应力路径的剪胀角函数,并给出了其数值实现方法,最后通过对三轴峰前卸围压试验的数值模拟,验证了所提出的剪涨角函数的可行性与合理性。研究表明：（1）加载路径时,不同围压水平下峰前扩容体积应变值相差不大,而卸荷应力路径时,随着围压水平的增加,峰前扩容体积应变从最小值3.15×10?3增加到最大值9.65×10?3,卸荷路径下的峰前扩容体积应变约为加载路径的1.1～4.0倍;（2）卸荷应力路径下偏应力峰值对应的体积应变基本为0或接近于0,而加载应力路径下偏应力峰值对应的体积应变均为负值;（3）卸荷应力路径条件下峰前扩容体积应变在总扩容体积应变中所占比例显著大于加载路径;（4）两种应力路径下,剪胀角随塑性剪切应变增加均经历了先增加后减小的过程,并且低围压工况下偏应力峰值对应的剪胀角和最大剪胀角均大于高围压工况;（5）与加载路径相比,卸荷路径下的剪胀角更快达到剪胀角最大值,并且其偏应力峰值对应的剪胀角和最大剪胀角更大;（6）基于砂岩三轴卸荷试验成果,采用线性拟合方法得出了以围压和峰后塑性剪切应变增量为自变量的剪胀角函数,基于该函数与应变软化本构模型的砂岩三轴峰前卸围压试验的数值模拟结果与试验结果吻合较好,表明该函数能较好地描述三轴峰前卸围压条件下砂岩的扩容特性。以上结论可为深部地下工程变形预测、稳定性分析与支护设计提供理论基础。     

冻结砂土力学性质的离散元模拟

基于离散单元法颗粒流理论,土体颗粒单元间采用接触黏结模型中来考虑冻土中冰的胶结作用,建立了冻结砂土的颗粒流模型。通过改变计算模型中颗粒单元的参数,模拟了在不同冻结温度以及不同围压下冻结砂土的宏观力学性质,并与冻结砂土的室内试验结果进行了比较,结果表明：颗粒流方法可以较好地模拟冻结砂土的应力-应变关系以及剪切带的发展变化过程,颗粒流细观参数对温度具有显著的依赖性。研究结果对离散单元法在特殊土中的应用具有一定的理论和应用价值。