A Numerical Approach for the Determination of the Primary Fabric of Granular Soils

Huu Duc To; Sergio Andres Galindo-Torres; Alexander Scheuermann

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.553.489

Paper Titles

Cavity Expansion in Soil of Finite Radial Extent
p.464

Evaluation of Mixed Formulation for Modelling RC Columns with Bond Slip
p.470

A Further Study on the Mechanism of Pre-Splitting in Mining Engineering
p.476

A Three Dimensional Plasticity Model for Sands Based on State Concept
p.482

A Numerical Approach for the Determination of the Primary Fabric of Granular Soils
p.489

Isogeometric Boundary Element Method for the Simulation in Tunneling
p.495

Material Point Method Modelling of Granular Flow in Inclined Channels
p.501

An Overview and Recent Developments of Distinct Lattice Spring Model on Dynamic Fracturing of Rock
p.507

Micro-Mechanics of Contact Erosion
p.513

HomeApplied Mechanics and MaterialsApplied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 553A Numerical Approach for the Determination of the...

A Numerical Approach for the Determination of the Primary Fabric of Granular Soils

Abstract:

Granular soil as a porous medium consists of particles, touching each other and forming a solid skeleton with interconnected pores. The transfer of externally applied loads is in most cases not homogeneous, but takes place mostly in a limited number of particles creating so-called force chains. The assembly of force chains is frequently referred to the primary fabric of a soil. The knowledge of the primary fabric is of vital importance for the analysis of many soil behaviours as, for instance, in the assessment of suffusion. Most of the current numerical models, mostly based on a discrete element approach, generate an artificial soil specimen by creating particles randomly. Therefore, particle position is not under control at all, and as a consequence the influence from particle arrangement on the creation of the primary fabric is neglected. This paper presents a sequential packing method, which allows studying two different types of particle arrangements for a given and constant grain size distribution: (1) layer-wise, producing a layered structure and (2) discrete, leading to a rather homogeneous soil structure. The generated soil specimens are compacted using a discrete element model under oedometric boundary conditions and zero gravity to create force chains within the soil structure. These force chains are then analysed to determine the soil fraction contributing to the load transfer. The results of the study provide an evidence of the influence of the particle arrangements on the appearance of the soil skeleton and the fraction of particles involved.

You might also be interested in these eBooks

View Preview

Info:

Periodical:

Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 553)

Pages:

489-494

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.553.489

Citation:

Cite this paper

Online since:

May 2014

Authors:

Huu Duc To, Sergio Andres Galindo-Torres, Alexander Scheuermann

Keywords:

Discrete Element Method, Oedometric Test, Particle Arrangement Method, Primary Fabric, Simulation, Soil

Export:

RIS, BibTeX

Price:

Permissions:

Request Permissions

References

[1] Mechsys homepage. Available from: http: /mechsys. nongnu. org/index. shtml.

Google Scholar

[2] Galindo-Torres, S., et al., Breaking processes in three-dimensional bonded granular materials with general shapes. Computer Physics Communications, 2012. 183(2): pp.266-277.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cpc.2011.10.001

Google Scholar

[3] Indraratna, B., V.T. Nguyen, and C. Rujikiatkamjorn, Assessing the potential of internal erosion and suffusion of granular soils. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 2011. 137(5): pp.550-554.

DOI: 10.1061/(asce)gt.1943-5606.0000447

Google Scholar

[4] Kenney, T. and D. Lau, Internal stability of granular filters. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 1985. 22(2): pp.215-225.

DOI: 10.1139/t85-029

Google Scholar

[5] Reboul, N., E. Vincens, and B. Cambou, A computational procedure to assess the distribution of constriction sizes for an assembly of spheres. Computers and Geotechnics, 2010. 37(1): pp.195-206.

DOI: 10.1016/j.compgeo.2009.09.002

Google Scholar

[6] Semar, O., K.J. Witt, and R.J. Fannin. Suffusion Evaluation-Comparison of Current Approaches. in Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Scour and Erosion, Geotechnical special Publication. (2010).

DOI: 10.1061/41147(392)24

Google Scholar

[7] Shire, T. and C. O'Sullivan, Micromechanical assessment of an internal stability criterion. Acta Geotechnica, 2013. 8(1): pp.81-90.

DOI: 10.1007/s11440-012-0176-5

Google Scholar

[8] Skempton, A. and J. Brogan, Experiments on piping in sandy gravels. Geotechnique, 1994. 44(3): pp.449-460.

DOI: 10.1680/geot.1994.44.3.449

Google Scholar

[9] Steeb, H., Non-Equilibrium Processes in Porous Media. Habilitation, Universität des Saarlands, Saarbrücken, (2008).

Google Scholar

[10] To, H.D., A. Scheuermann, and S. Galindo-Torres, Numerical modelling of soil porous structure, in Infiltratiton instabilities in granular materials: theory and experiments. 2012: Brisbane.

Google Scholar

[11] To, H.D., A. Scheuermann, and D.J. Williams. A new simple model for the determination of the pore constriction size distribution. in 6th International Conference on Scour and Erosion (ICSE-6). 2012. Société Hydrotechnique de France (SHF).

Google Scholar

[12] Wan, C.F. and R. Fell, Assessing the potential of internal instability and suffusion in embankment dams and their foundations. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 2008. 134(3): pp.401-407.

DOI: 10.1061/(asce)1090-0241(2008)134:3(401)

Google Scholar