Discrete simulation and micromechanical analysis of two-dimensional saturated granular media

In this study, a novel approach to incorporate the pore water pressure in the discrete element method （DEM） to comprehensively model saturated granular media was developed. A numerical model was constructed based on the DEM by implanting additional routines in the basic DEM code; pore water pressure calculations were used with a two-dimensional （2D） model to simulate the undrained behavior of satu- rated granular media. This model coupled the interaction of solid particles and the pore fluid in saturated granular media. Finally, several 2D undrained shear tests were simulated. The test results showed that the model could predict the response of the saturated granular soil to shear loading. The effect of initial compaction was investigated. Biaxial tests on dense and loose specimens were conducted, and the effect of the initial density on the change in shear strength and the volume change of the system was inves- tigated. The overall behavior of loose and dense specimens was phenomenologically similar to the real granular material. Constant volume tests were simulated, and the results were compared to those from the coupled model. Induced anisotropy was micromechanically investigated by studying the contact force orientation. The change in anisotropy depended on the modeling scheme. However, the overall responses of the media obtained usinz the couoled and constant volume methods were similar.     

A discrete element model for simulating saturated granular soil

A numerical model is developed to simulate saturated granular soil, based on the discrete element method. Soil particles are represented by Lagrangian discrete elements, and pore fluid, by appropriate discrete elements which represent alternately Lagrangian mass of water and Eulerian volume of space. Macro-scale behavior of the model is verified by simulating undrained biaxial compression tests. Micro-scale behavior is compared to previous literature through pore pressure pattern visualization during shear tests. It is demonstrated that dynamic pore pressure patterns are generated by superposed stress waves. These pore-pressure patterns travel much faster than average drainage rate of the pore fluid and may initiate soil fabric change, ultimately leading to liquefaction in loose sands. Thus, this work demonstrates a tool to roughly link dynamic stress wave patterns to initiation of liquefaction phenomena.     

Discrete element modeling of inherently anisotropic granular assemblies with polygonal particles

In the present article, we study the effect of inherent anisotropy, i.e., initial bedding angle of particles and associated voids on macroscopic mechanical behavior of granular materials, by numerical simulation of several biaxial compression tests using the discrete element method (DEM). Particle shape is considered to be irregular convex-polygonal. The effect of inherent anisotropy is investigated by following the evolution of mobilized shear strength and volume change during loading. As experimental tests have already shown, numerical simulations also indicate that initial anisotropic condition has a great influence on the strength and deformational behavior of granular assemblies. Comparison of simulations with tests using oval particles, shows that angularity influences both the mobilized shear strength and the volume change regime, which originates from the interlocking resistance between particles.     

Modeling liquefaction of water saturated granular material under undrained cyclic shearing

The tendency of particles in a water-saturated granular mass to re-arrange into a denser state during cyclic shearing under pressure results in an increase in pore water pressure. The increase in the pore water pressure causes a reduction in the inner particle contact forces, and in turn easier re-arrangement of the particles. Eventually, the material loses its shear strength, partially or almost completely. In this paper, a general three-dimensional continuum mechanics model is presented for the deformation of granular materials. A physically based model is also presented for characterization of liquefaction of the water saturated granular material under undrained cyclic shearing. The model incorporates the fabric of the granular mass, which develops as the frictional granular mass is deformed in shear. It includes the coupling between shearing and excess pore water pressure. The model parameters are estimated, based on the results of cyclic shearing experiments on large hollow cylindrical samples of silica sand. Basically, the calculation results utilizing this model can embody liquefaction phenomena of the water saturated granular material under undrained cyclic shearing.     

ROTATIONAL RESISTANCE AND SHEAR-INDUCED ANISOTROPY IN GRANULAR MEDIA

This paper presents a micromechanical study on the behavior of granular materials under confined shear using a three-dimensional Discrete Element Method （DEM）. We consider rotational resistance among spherical particles in the DEM code as an approximate way to account for the effect of particle shape. Under undrained shear, it is found rotational resistance may help to increase the shear strength of a granular system and to enhance its resistance to liquefaction. The evolution of internal structure and anisotropy in granular systems with different initial conditions depict a clear bimodal character which distinguishes two contact subnetworks. In the presence of rotational resistance, a good correlation is found between an analytical stress-force-fabric relation and the DEM results, in which the normal force anisotropy plays a dominant role. The unique properties of critical state and liquefaction state in relation to granular anisotropy are also explored and discussed.     

基于细观拓扑结构演化的颗粒材料剪胀性分析

剪胀性是包括岩土材料在内的摩擦性颗粒材料的重要特征之一,其形成机制与颗粒体系内部拓扑结构的演化有关.基于颗粒体系细观数据,可对颗粒体系内部的拓扑结构特征及演化进行分析,进而建立拓扑演化与宏观剪胀变形之间的联系.采用离散单元法,根据密实、中密和松散摩擦性颗粒材料双轴试验的宏微观数据,从拓扑参量演化及接触网络拓扑变化所引起...     

Mechanical Behaviors of Saturated Sand under Complicated Loading

The different physical states of saturated sand, including shear elasticity, positive dilatancy, and negative dilatancy (preliminary negative dilatancy, secondary negative dilatancy and reversal negative dilatancy) are revealed based on the pore water pressure response of saturated sand in undrained dynamic torsional tests of thin cylinder samples and also checked by the drained cyclic triaxial tests under a given mean effective normal stress. According to the effective stress path of different physical states under the undrained cyclic torsional tests the physical state transformation surface, stress history boundary and yield surface are determined, and the state boundary surface is also determined by the range of effective frictional stress state movement. Based on the moving yield surface without rotation, and the expanding stress history boundary surface relevant to the stress path variations under different physical states in 3D stress space, a physical state model is proposed to provide a new app     

DEM investigation on the effect of sample preparation on the shear behavior of granular soil

The effect of initial fabric anisotropy produced by sample preparation on the shear behavior of granular soil is investigated by performing discrete element method (DEM) simulations of fourteen biaxial tests in drained conditions. Numerical test specimens are prepared by three means: gravitational deposition, multi-layer compression, and isotropic compression, such that different initial inherent soil fabrics are created. The DEM simulation results show that initial fabric anisotropy exerts a considerable effect on the shear behavior of granular soil, and that the peak stress ratio and peak dilatancy increase with an increase in the fabric index a_n that is estimated from the contact orientations. The stress–dilatancy relationship is found to be independent of the initial fabric anisotropy. The anisotropy related to the contact orientation and contact normal force accounts for the main contribution to the mobilized friction angle. Also, the occurrence of contractive shear response in an initial shearing stage is accompanied by the most intense particle rearrangement and microstructural reorganization, regardless of the sample preparation method. Furthermore, the uniqueness of the critical state line in e–log p′ and q–p′ plots is observed, suggesting that the influence of initial fabric anisotropy is erased at large shear strains.     

考虑热渗效应的有限长圆柱热固结解

在作者已建立的饱和多孔介质耦合非线性热弹性理论基础上,考虑热渗效应,建立了饱和多孔介质耦合热弹性固结方程,并推导了有限长圆柱热固结问题的解析解,进而以温控三轴试验的试样为例进行了算例分析,同时利用COMSOL软件进行了数值模拟,并将解析结果和数值结果进行对比．结果表明：在不排水条件下,影响试样最终孔压大小的参数是：土的泊松比>弹性模量>水的体膨胀系数,渗透系数对孔压变化影响不大,考虑与不考虑水土压缩性不影响孔压的计算;相对线弹性情况,考虑非线弹性膨胀系数随温度变化时的孔压有所下降,轴向应变变化很小．     

Numerical modeling of fluid-particle interaction in granular media

Fluid-particle interaction underpins important behavior of granular media. Particle-scale simulation may help to provide key microscopic information governing the interaction and offer better understanding of granular media as a whole. This paper presents a coupled computational fluid dynamics and discrete element method (CFD-DEM) approach for this purpose. The granular particle system is modeled by DEM, while the fluid flow is simulated by solving the locally averaged Navier–Stokes equation with CFD. The coupling is considered by exchanging such interaction forces as drag force and buoyancy force between the DEM and CFD. The approach is benchmarked by two classic geomechanics problems for which analytical solutions are available, and is further applied to the prediction of sand heap formation in water through hopper flow. It is demonstrated that the key characteristic of granular materials interacting with pore water can be successfully captured by the proposed method.     

Micromechanical modelling for effect of inherent anisotropy on cyclic behaviour of sand

The inherent anisotropy more or less exists in sand when preparing samples in laboratory or taking from field. The purpose of this paper is to model cyclic behaviour of sand by means of a micromechanical approach considering inherent anisotropy. The micromechanical stress–strain model developed in an earlier study by Chang and Hicher (2005) is enhanced to account for the stress reversal on a contact plane and the density state-dependent dilatancy. The enhanced model is first examined by simulating typical drained and undrained cyclic tests in conventional triaxial conditions. The model is then used to simulate drained cyclic triaxial tests under constant p′ on Toyoura sand with different initial void ratios and different levels of p′, and undrained triaxial tests on dense and loose Nevada sand. The applicability of the present model is evaluated through comparisons between the predicted and the measured results. The evolution of local stresses and local strains at inter-particle planes due to externally applied load are discussed. All simulations have demonstrated that the proposed micromechanical approach is capable of modelling the cyclic behaviour of sand with inherent and induced anisotropy.     

DEM SIMULATION OF LIQUEFACTION FOR GRANULAR MEDIA UNDER UNDRAINED AXISYMMETRIC COMPRESSION AND PLANE STRAIN CONDITIONS

Based on three dimensional (3D) Discrete Element Method (DEM), the paper presents simulation results of undrained tests on loose assemblies of polydisperse spheres under axisymmetric compression and plane strain conditions using a periodic cell. In the present work, undrained tests were modelled by deforming the samples under constant volume conditions. The undrained (effective) stress paths are shown to be qualitatively similar to experimental results in literature. A microscopic parameter in terms of redundancy factor (RF) is used to identify the onset of liquefaction (or temporary liquefaction), with the condition of RF equal to unity defining the transition from ’solid-like’ to ’liquid-like’ behaviour. It is found that the undrained behaviour is governed by the evolution of redundancy factor under both undrained axisymmetric compression and plane strain conditions, and a reversal of deviatoric stress in stress path for medium loose systems occurs due to the fact that the system becomes a structural mechanism (RF<1) transiently at the microscopic level during the evolution.     

Multi-mechanism anisotropic model for granular materials

By representing the assembly by a simplified column model, a constitutive theory, referred to as sliding–rolling theory, was recently developed for a two-dimensional assembly of rods subjected to biaxial loading, and then extended to a three-dimensional assembly of spheres subjected to triaxial (equibiaxial) loading. The sliding–rolling theory provides a framework for developing a phenomenological constitutive law for granular materials, which is the objective of the present work. The sliding–rolling theory provides information concerning yield and flow directions during radial and non-radial loading. In addition, the theory provides information on the role of fabric anisotropy on the stress–strain behavior and critical state shear strength. In the present paper, a multi-axial phenomenological model is developed within the sliding–rolling framework by utilizing the concepts of critical state, classical elasto-plasticity and bounding surface. The resulting theory involves two yield surfaces and falls within the definition of the multi-mechanism models. Computational issues concerning the solution uniqueness for stress states at the corner of yield surfaces are addressed. The effect of initial and induced fabric anisotropy on the constitutive behavior is incorporated. It is shown that the model is capable of simulating the effect of anisotropy, and the behavior of loose and dense sands under drained and undrained loading.     

砂土初始孔隙比空间变异性对其力学特性及破坏模式的影响分析

现有研究大多采用简单的摩尔库伦模型针对土的空间变异性对边坡或基础的安全系数或失效概率做计算分析.事实上临界状态本构模型,如SIMSAND,能更准确地反映土的应力-应变关系.为此,本文采用SIM-SAND模型,针对砂土初始孔隙比的空间变异性对其力学特性及破坏模式的影响做详细分析,算例采用简单的室内平面应变双轴试验,分为松砂排水、密砂排水、松砂不排水和密砂不排水四种情况.每一种情况均采用蒙特卡罗方法进行初始孔隙比的随机分布生成,并做大量计算,以此来分析初始孔隙比的不均匀性对剪切带生成和破坏模式和竖向承载力发展及其概率密度分布的影响.     

非均匀颗粒材料的类固-液相变行为及本构方程

以非均匀颗粒介质为研究对象，采用三维离散元方法对其在不同密集度和剪切速率下的动 力过程进行了数值模拟，分析了其在由瞬时接触的快速流动向持续接触的准静态流动的转变 过程及其行为特点. 通过对不同材料性质下相变过渡区内颗粒材料的宏观应力、接触时间数、 配位数、团聚颗粒数量、有效摩擦系数等参量的计算，更加全面地描述了非均匀颗粒材料在 类固-液相变过程中的基本特征. 基于以上数值计算结果，建立了一个适用于颗粒材料 类固态、类液态以及其相变过程的本构方程，并通过剪切室实验结果验证了它的合理性.     

饱和超固结黏性土的三剪弹塑性本构模型研究

针对饱和超固结黏性土现有下加载面修正剑桥模型中破坏应力比为定值、土体黏聚力为零,以及不能准确反映不同应力状态下土的强度差异这些问题,基于三剪统一强度准则以及应力坐标平移法得到了扩展破坏应力比,其特点是能更好地反映应力状态变化以及土体黏聚力的影响。在此基础上提出了饱和超固结黏性土的三剪弹塑性本构模型,该模型的特点是能描述土体受力时的中间主应力效应,应力区间效应和拉压差影响,同时也能更好地考虑土体黏聚力的影响。基于该模型对ABAQUS软件进行了二次开发,并利用其模拟了饱和超固结黏性土在排水和不排水条件下的真三轴和常规三轴压缩试验特性。对常规三轴压缩条件下土体力学特性作了模拟和试验结果对比。结果表明所提模型能很好地反映不同超固结比下土体的变形、剪胀、孔隙水压力变化特性。     

Determining a representative element volume for DEM simulations of samples with non-circular particles

Numerical studies on the number of particles or system size required to attain a representative element volume (REV) for discrete element method (DEM) simulations of granular materials have almost always considered samples with spherical or circular particles. This study considers how many particles are needed to attain a REV for 2D samples of 2-disc cluster particles where the particle aspect ratio (AR) was systematically varied. Dense and loose assemblies of particles were simulated. The minimum REV was assessed both by considering the repeatability of static packing characteristics and the shearing behaviour in biaxial compression tests, and by investigating the effect of sample size on the measured characteristics and observed shearing behaviour. The repeatability of the data considered generally improved with increasing sample size. The packing characteristics of the dense samples were more repeatable suggesting that the minimum REV reduces with increasing packing density. The minimum REV was observed to be sensitive to the characteristic measured. Although the overall responses of the samples during shear deformation were similar irrespective of the sample sizes, the smaller the sample size, the higher the fluctuations observed in the responses. Analysis of the coefficient of variation of the fluctuations around the critical state stress ratio can provide insight as to whether a REV is attained. The particle AR influences the effect of sample size on shearing characteristics and thus the minimum number of particles required to attain a REV; this can be explained by the influence of AR on the number of contacts within the samples.     

粒料固有各向异性的离散元模拟与细观分析

料在摊铺后形成的颗粒定向排列将导致其力学性质的固有各向异性. 依据粒料的实际不规则形状, 构建了可模拟粒间咬合嵌挤作用的三维离散元复杂形状颗粒; 生成了5 种不同沉积方向的各向异性试件和1种各向同性试件, 对比了各试件在三轴压缩试验中的宏观力学特性差异; 引入组构张量以量化各向异性程度, 利用玫瑰图表达接触法向与接触力的分布特征, 探究了粒料各向异性的细观发展规律. 结果表明: 颗粒长轴愈趋向水平排布, 峰值应力比愈大, 剪缩与剪胀程度愈明显; 相较于各向同性试件, 沉积角$\theta$为料在摊铺后形成的颗粒定向排列将导致其力学性质的固有各向异性. 依据粒料的实际不规则形状, 构建了可模拟粒间咬合嵌挤作用的三维离散元复杂形状颗粒; 生成了5 种不同沉积方向的各向异性试件和1种各向同性试件, 对比了各试件在三轴压缩试验中的宏观力学特性差异; 引入组构张量以量化各向异性程度, 利用玫瑰图表达接触法向与接触力的分布特征, 探究了粒料各向异性的细观发展规律. 结果表明: 颗粒长轴愈趋向水平排布, 峰值应力比愈大, 剪缩与剪胀程度愈明显; 相较于各向同性试件, 沉积角$\theta$为$0^\circ$时, 峰值应力比和最大体积压缩应变分别提高了12.6\%和18.8\%, 其原因在于加载过程中颗粒旋转和滑动百分比更小, 内部调整时间更短、更易被剪密; 固有各向异性对颗粒法向接触力分布的影响不大, 但显著影响接触法向分布特征; 剪切过程中, $\theta$为$90^\circ$时的接触法向各向异性系数先快速减小后逐渐增大, 而$\theta$为$0^\circ$到$60^\circ$时则呈现出增大后稍有回落或趋于稳定的趋势, 且$\theta$ 愈小的试件各向异性系数增大愈快.