A model of stress distribution and cracking in cohesive soils produced by simple tillage implements

The objective of this research was to describe the mechanical behavior of soil under the action of a tillage tool, with the purpose of finding a relation between the tool geometry and the resultant soil structure. The problem was solved using fundamental principles of soil mechanics and force equilibrium analysis. As a result, a mathematical model was developed which describes three stress zones within the cut soil volume: shear failure, tension failure, and no internal failure. The model was programmed into a computer to generate maps of normal and shear stresses to visualize the three failure zones. The model was tested by cutting soil with flat tillage tools in a laboratory soil bin, and it proved to provide reliable predictions of the pattern of soil shear and tension failure.     

Sinusoidal vibratory tillage

One dimensional sinusoidal vibratory tillage was analyzed theoretically and experimentally. A model was developed in which the instantaneous horizontal force on the tool was equal to a constant plus a linear function of tool velocity. The tool action was analyzed in three stages: (1) retraction of the tool, (2) compression of loose soil in front of the tool, and (3) cutting of undisturbed soil. The effect of tool mass was included, but edge effects between the tool and soil as the tool retracted were neglected. Equations were developed for the instantaneous horizontal force on the tool, average force and power requirements for the tool and ratio of average force and power on a vibrating tool to the average force and power for the same tool without vibration but moving at the same average velocity.

The model predicted the measured instantaneous tool force and average force accurately when the tool oscillated at 10 Hz and the soil failed by flow. At higher frequencies, the soil failed by multiple shear resulting in more pulverization. In this case, the model did not predict the instantaneous force accurately but did not predict the average force with reasonable accuracy. Multiple shear was more evident on the 45° tool than the 80° tool, the difference was attributed to the fact that the soil was more confined by the 80° tool. A maximum force reduction of 40% was observed at a contact ratio between 0.3 and 0.4. The power required for the vibrating tool was increased by a factor of 1.5 to 3.0 for the same contact ratio interval.     

Thawing soil strength measurements for predicting vehicle performance

The CRREL Instrumented Vehicle (CIV), shear annulus, direct shear and triaxial compression devices were used to characterize the strength of thawed and thawing soil. Strength was evaluated in terms of the Mohr-Coulomb failure parameters c′ and φ′, which can be used in simple models to predict the tractive performance of vehicles. Use of an instrumented wheel (like those of the CIV) is proposed for terrain strength characterization for traction prediction because the conditions created by a tire slipping on a soil surface are exactly duplicated. The c′ and φ′ values from a portable shear annulus overpredict traction because of the curved nature of the soil failure envelope in the region of low normal stress applied by a portable annulus. Of all the tests, the direct shear test yielded the highest φ′ value, due to its slow deformation rate and drained conditions. The triaxial test produced results closest to those of the instrumented wheel. For all methods, φ′ increases with soil moisture but decreases rapidly beyond the liquid limit of the soil. The φ′ measured with the vehicle was also found to be strongly influenced by the freeze-thaw layering of the soil.     

Analysis of Taylor vortex flow by means of laser light scattering

Rheological measurements and light-scattering experiments were performed on dilute solutions of high molecular polystyrene. We are able to describe the orientation behavior of chain molecules under shear flow by means of light-scattering. Beyond that these investigations of light-scattering of flowing polymer solutions are an useful and suitable tool for detection and characterization of Taylor vortex formation. We can estimate the appearance of these hydrodynamic instabilities, which overlay the laminar main flow and we can observe a typical influence of the solvent power on it.Presented in part at the meeting of the Deutsche Rheologische Gesellschaft, Berlin, 13–15 May, 1991.     

A systematic approach to reliably characterize soils based on Bevameter testing

Although a lot of information about soil parameter identification exists in literature, there is currently no algorithm who makes use both of state of the art identification methodologies and incorporating statistical analysis. In this paper a state of the art soil parameter identification method is presented including the calculation of its standard deviations and a proper weighting of the objective function. With this algorithm and a Bevameter with advanced sensor and actuator technology a test campaign is started to find a reliable soil preparation, which is applicable to a large planetary rover performance testbed. Furthermore, the preparation method has to be valid and stable for various types of dry, granular and frictional soils, typically used for planetary rover testing in space robotics, since the result of pre-tests show that the soil parameters are highly depending on the preparation. Besides preparation, the soil parameters are also influenced by different Bevameter test setup variables. Thus, the effect of the penetration velocity as well as the penetration tool geometry for pressure–sinkage tests on soil parameters is investigated. For shear tests the influence of the dimension of the shear ring is analysed as well as the variation of the grouser height, the number of the grousers and the increase of the rotational shear velocity. The results of the extensive test campaign are evaluated by the proposed identification algorithms.     

Simulating shear behavior of a sandy soil under different soil conditions

Understanding of soil shear behavior is very important in the field of agricultural machinery and soil dynamics. In this study, a discrete element model was developed using a simulation tool, Particle Flow Code in Three Dimensions (PFC^3D). The model simulates direct shear tests of soil and predicts soil shear behavior, in terms of shear forces and displacements. To determine and calibrate model parameters (stiffness of particles, strength and stiffness of bond between particles), laboratory direct shear tests were conducted to examine effects of soil moisture content and bulk density on shear behaviors of a sandy soil. Three soil moisture levels (0.02%, 13.0%, and 21.5%) and four bulk density levels (0.99, 1.28, 1.36, and 1.50 Mg/m³) were used in the tests. The test results showed that in general drier and denser soil conditions produced higher shear forces. Based on the test results, the bond strengths of the model particles were determined from soil cohesion and internal friction angle. The model particle stiffness was calibrated based on the yield forces from the tests. The calibrated particle stiffness varied from 1.0 × 10³ to 8.2 × 10³ N/m, depending on soil moisture and density levels. The bond stiffness calibrated was 1.0 × 10⁷ Pa/m for all soil conditions.     

Laboratory optimization of the soil digging process

A new idea for the optimization of digging using earth-working machinery is presented and experimentally verified. This idea is based on the conclusions derived from previous papers presented by the same authors, that the soil cutting trajectories incorporating the generated shear band as a part of them are the optimal ones. Dividing the whole excavation task into several repeatable cycles for which the soil free boundary before and after the experiment are similar the optimization of a single cycle plays a significant role in the energetic efficiency of the whole task. A single cycle of the working process is defined using several basing parameters. The influence of each parameter on the specific unit energy of the process was experimentally verified. Finally, a set of values for the discussed parameters is recommended for the particular soil and tool shape.     

Contemporary modeling and analysis of steady state and transient human blood rheology

The rheological characterization of a human blood, through modeling and analysis of transient flows and large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) flow, has made tremendous progress recently. We show how various components, and modifications of two recent scalar, structural kinetic, thixotropic models, can offer several modeling and prediction improvements, and compare our results to the Maxwell-like Bautista-Manero-Puig (BMP) model, and a recent transient model based on the Herschel-Bulkley. We explore the weakness of the legacy blood models, and then, we apply this newly improved model to recently published data from the literature in order to demonstrate its efficacy in modeling steady state, transient, and oscillatory shear flow. Following this effort, we demonstrate a novel approach using the sequence of physical phenomena (SPP) to facilitate interpretation, characterization, mapping, and “fingerprinting” of transient blood data from the literature. We compare the SPP approach to other LAOS analysis techniques in the literature and show how our approach can function as a mechanical-property diagnostic blood analysis tool. The goal of this work is a deeper understanding of the microstructural basis and validity of structural thixotropic blood models, and transient flow analysis techniques and procedures.     

Design and characterization of GRC-1: A soil for lunar terramechanics testing in Earth-ambient conditions

Earth experiments must be carried out on terrain that deforms similarly to the lunar terrain to assess the tractive performances of lunar vehicles. Most notably, terrain compaction and shear response underneath the lunar vehicle wheels must represent that of the Moon. This paper discusses the development of a new lunar soil simulant, Glenn Research Center lunar soil simulant #1 (GRC-1), which meets this need. A semi-empirical design approach was followed in which the soil was created by mixing readily available manufactured sands to a particle size distribution similar to the coarse fraction of lunar soil. By varying terrain density, a broad range of in situ cone penetration measurements collected by the Apollo mission astronauts can be replicated. An extensive set of characterization data is provided in this article to facilitate the use of this material. For reference, the index and geotechnical properties of GRC-1 are compared to the lunar soil and existing lunar soil simulants.     

Dynamic Experiments using Simultaneous Compression and Shear Loading

Material characterization at high strain rates under simultaneous compression and shear loading has been a challenge due to the differing normal and shear wave speeds. An experimental technique utilizing the compression Kolsky bar apparatus was developed to apply dynamic compression and shear loading on a specimen nearly simultaneously. Synchronization between the compression and shear loading was realized by generating the torsion wave near the specimen which minimizes the time difference between the arrival of the compression and torsion waves. This modified Kolsky bar makes it possible to characterize the dynamic response of a material to combined compression and shear impact loading. This method can also be applied to study dynamic friction behavior across an interface under controlled loading conditions. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated in the dynamic characterization of a simulant polymer bonded explosive material.     

Adiabatic shear banding and scaling laws in chip formation with application to cutting of Ti–6Al–4V

The phenomenon of adiabatic shear banding is analyzed theoretically in the context of metal cutting. The mechanisms of material weakening that are accounted for are (i) thermal softening and (ii) material failure related to a critical value of the accumulated plastic strain. Orthogonal cutting is viewed as a unique configuration where adiabatic shear bands can be experimentally produced under well controlled loading conditions by individually tuning the cutting speed, the feed (uncut chip thickness) and the tool geometry. The role of cutting conditions on adiabatic shear banding and chip serration is investigated by combining finite element calculations and analytical modeling. This leads to the characterization and classification of different regimes of shear banding and the determination of scaling laws which involve dimensionless parameters representative of thermal and inertia effects. The analysis gives new insights into the physical aspects of plastic flow instability in chip formation. The originality with respect to classical works on adiabatic shear banding stems from the various facets of cutting conditions that influence shear banding and from the specific role exercised by convective flow on the evolution of shear bands. Shear bands are generated at the tool tip and propagate towards the chip free surface. They grow within the chip formation region while being convected away by chip flow. It is shown that important changes in the mechanism of shear banding take place when the characteristic time of shear band propagation becomes equal to a characteristic convection time. Application to Ti–6Al–4V titanium are considered and theoretical predictions are compared to available experimental data in a wide range of cutting speeds and feeds. The fundamental knowledge developed in this work is thought to be useful not only for the understanding of metal cutting processes but also, by analogy, to similar problems where convective flow is also interfering with adiabatic shear banding as in impact mechanics and perforation processes. In that perspective, cutting speeds higher than those usually encountered in machining operations have been also explored.     

Some observations of volumetric instabilities in soils

The direct shear apparatus was developed for soil testing because it reproduced the shear failure surfaces that formed a part of the failure mechanism of many geotechnical systems. Typical shear tests on dense sands show a softening load:displacement response which is associated with significant volumetric expansion. While shear localisations can be detected from discontinuities in marker layers, the change in density can be detected using radiography. The progressive formation of shear localisations is readily observed in situations which impose a discontinuity of boundary displacement and these can naturally be interpreted as precursors to a failure mechanism. However, more subtle patterns of volumetric strain or density localisation can be observed in situations where no such obvious boundary displacement discontinuity exists but the sand body is subjected to a more general shearing. Such patterns have a structure which is clearly related to the size of the sand particles. Several examples of such patterns are presented and implications for soil testing and for model tests on soils are discussed.     

Soil failure under undrained quasi-static and high speed triaxial compression test

Experiments were conducted in unsaturated silty loam and sandy loam soils under undrained conditions. Soil failure under quasi-static and high speed triaxial compression were studied. The amount of energy used in breaking soil specimens was found to be a function of soil moisture content. During undrained quasi-static triaxial compression tests, two cases of brittle failure, a general shear failure and a fragmentation were observed. The test soil specimen broke more by fragmentation than by general shear failure. During undrained high speed triaxial compression tests, the energy use for breaking the soil specimen increased with increase in loading speed up to a certain critical speed range of 4.5–5 m/s, and then it decreased. Two types of soil failure, brittle failure and plastic flow, which were a function of the loading speed, were noticed. At lower speed, dilation of shearing along a slip plane was observed. However, at higher speed, barreling of the cylindrical specimen with top and bottom conical shaped wedges, or only a single wedge with a small crack or fluidization, was observed.     

On the mechanical properties of soil as they affect traction

In order to explore some of the controversies encountered in soil testing, the author conducted numerous tests with the purpose of determining soil shear strength and the factors influencing it. Five different representative soil types were used, and the influence of void ration and moisture content on cohesion and internal friction was examined. A suitable parameter employed in soil physics was found by means of which the measured mechanical characteristics were arranged into a multi-variable system. The author determined that the interpretation of their meaning contradict the classical soil mechanics definition of shear stresses. The contradiction is eliminated by the author's new interpretation of the shear diagram which is in consonance with the tenets of classical soil mechanics.     

Comparison of soil strength measurements of agricultural soils in Nebraska

In 2014 the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL) was engaged in field testing program to investigate a soil moisture mapping system as a crop management tool. In conjunction with this work, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (ERDC-CRREL) deployed a team to perform soil characterization and strength measurements at three agricultural test sites. The primary objective was an investigation of the Lightweight Deflectometer (LWD) as a soil surface strength tool for the purposes of assessing bearing capacity of soft soils. The LWD measurements were performed with those from more “standard” tests, i.e. the Dynamic Cone Penetrometer, Cone Penetrometer, and Clegg Impact Hammer to determine if the LWD produced results that compared with these methods. The strength test data were also used to calculate California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values using existing equations in order to see if the different test methods produced similar CBR values that could in turn be used to predict the bearing capacity of the sites. The secondary objective was to compare the strength data with the corresponding soil water content data taken by UNL to determine if soil moisture was an indicator of soil strength.     

Exponential shear flow of branched polyethylenes in rotational parallel-plate geometry

Exponential shear flow, as a strong flow with the potential to generate a high degree of molecular stretching, has attracted considerable interest in recent years. So far, exponential shear flow has been realized by either sliding-plate or cone-and-plate (CP) geometry. Both geometries guarantee homogeneous shear flow. Here, we present experimental data on exponential shear flow of several long-chain branched polyethylene melts with different degrees of strain hardening obtained by using parallel-plate (PP) geometry in a rotational rheometer. This type of geometry, which is standard in linear-viscoelastic characterization of polymer materials, produces inhomogeneous shear flow. A comparison of exponential shear flow data obtained by PP and CP geometry is made. Additionally, the experimental data are compared to predictions of the rubber-like liquid (RLL) and the molecular stress function (MSF) theories. For this purpose, the relaxation spectra of the polymer melts considered were obtained by standard linear-viscoelastic characterization. In addition, two irrotational parameters and one rotational parameter are required by the MSF theory. While the irrotational parameters were obtained from fitting to elongational viscosity data, the value of the rotational parameter was used as given in the literature. It can be concluded that viable experimental data in exponential shear flow can be obtained by PP geometry. For finite linear-viscoelasticity (RLL theory), predictions of reduced shear stress for CP and PP geometry coincide, but nonlinear material behavior (as modeled by the MSF theory) leads to small differences between both geometries. Furthermore, it is shown that the MSF predictions are in excellent agreement with the experimental data in exponential shear flow and that this type of flow leads to much less chain stretching than elongational flow.Dedicated to the memory of Prof. Arthur S. Lodge (1922–2005).     

基于离散元模型的土石混合体直剪试验分析

土石混合体是由高强度块石和低强度土体组成的一类特殊工程地质材料,其力学性质可通过直剪试验进行确定。本文针对土石混合体的细观材料特性,分别采用球形颗粒单元和非规则组合颗粒单元模拟土体和块石材料,对其在不同含石量和颗粒粘结强度下的直剪试验过程进行离散元分析。计算结果表明,土石混合体的抗剪强度随着含石量和粘结强度的增加而增加;通过不同法向应力下直剪试验的离散元分析,确定了不同含石量下土石混合体材料的内摩擦角和粘聚力。本文研究结果有助于进一步揭示土石混合体的抗剪强度特性。     

Working processes of cyclic-action machinery for soil deformation—Part I

An analysis is presented of the working process in cyclic-action shaping of horizontal boreholes in soil. Advance of the tool in the required direction is effected through asymmetric vibrational displacements induced by a pneumatic mechanism. The machine is incapable of utilizing the unloading energy of the soil as part of the input. The analysis is based on approximative characterization of resistance force of the soil and the air pressure in the pneumatic mechanism. As regards the influence of external friction on the process, it was established that increase of the former up to a certain level results in considerable saving in the energy requirement, combined with a significant increase in output. The expressions obtained in this context yield the conditions under which the energy requirement is minimized.     

Constitutive model for high speed tillage using narrow tools

Dynamic effects on soil–tool cutting forces are important when operating at elevated speeds. The rate-dependent behavior of narrow tillage tools was investigated in this study. A hypoelastic soil constitutive relationship with variable Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio was developed to describe the dynamic soil-tool cutting problem. An initial finite element formulation with viscous components incorporated in the stiffness matrix resulted in severe numerical oscillations. A modified model that incorporated lumped viscous components in the equation of motion (independent of the stiffness matrix) was proposed. Numerical oscillations still occurred, but at sufficiently high tool displacements (1–10 mm) to enable the determination of peak draft forces. Experimental data for flat and triangular edged narrow tools were obtained using a 9-m long linear monorail system designed to accelerate narrow tools through a linear soil bin to high speeds. Steady-state speeds from 0.5 to 10.0 m/s over a distance of 1 to 3 m were attained using this system. A reference-tool inverse procedure was used to estimate the dynamic soil parameter in the soil model using draft data obtained for the flat tool. Predictions of triangular tool draft produced correct trends but overestimated experimental data. Draft was overpredicted by less than 1% at a tool speed of 2.8 m/s and by 25% at 8.4 m/s.     

Soil shear strengths measured with different levels of uniaxial stress acting in a direction tangential to the shear plane

The design of an unusual direct shear box is described which enables the effects of stress acting in a direction tangential to a shear plane and perpendicular to the direction of shear to be investigated. Some preliminary results for a sand are presented which show that there appears to be a small increase in soil shear strength when such a tangential force is present.