Discrete element modelling of soil particle fracture

McDowell, G. R.; Harireche, Ouahid

doi:10.1680/geot.2002.52.2.131

Cited by 174 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…This experiment was later simulated using aggregates by McDowell & Harireche (2002) and single particles by McDowell & de Bono (2013). McDowell (2002) also presents grain crush data for this sand.…”

Section: High-stress Crushing Materials No 2: Silica Sandmentioning

confidence: 99%

An approach to enhance efficiency of DEM modelling of soils with crushable grains

Ciantia¹,

Arroyo²,

Calvetti³

et al. 2015

Géotechnique

176

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In this study oedometric compression tests of hydrocarbon coke, Fontainebleau sand and silica sand are simulated in three dimensions using breakable particles. The method adapts a rigorous breakage criterion for elasto-brittle spheres to represent failure of grains isolated between platens or within granular masses. The breakage criterion allows for the effect of particle bulk and contact properties to be treated separately. A discrete fragmentation multigenerational approach is applied as a spawning procedure. The number of particles quickly increases during the simulation, but is kept manageable by systematic fine exclusion and upscaling. Fine exclusion leads to mass losses between generations, but that loss is accounted for outside the mechanical model. Sensitivity analysis shows that it is enough to keep 53% of the crushed particle mass within the mechanical model to correctly reproduce experimental macroscopic behaviour. Practical upscaling rules are proposed for (a) contact stiffness, (b) breakage criteria and (c) grain size distribution, and validated simulating the same test, reducing by half the initial number of particles. The results are promising as both the mechanical and grading evolution are well captured with two orders of magnitude savings in computing efficiency.

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Section: High-stress Crushing Materials No 2: Silica Sandmentioning

confidence: 99%

An approach to enhance efficiency of DEM modelling of soils with crushable grains

Ciantia¹,

Arroyo²,

Calvetti³

et al. 2015

Géotechnique

176

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Crushing has generally been modelled using the discrete element method (DEM) via the two alternative methods of N replacing 'breaking' grains with new, smaller fragments, generally in two-dimensions (Å strö m & Herrmann, 1998;Tsoungui et al, 1999;Lobo-Guerrero & Vallejo, 2005; N using three-dimensional (3D) agglomerates (McDowell & Harireche, 2002;Cheng et al, 2003;Bolton et al, 2008). In the latter method, no consideration was given to the complex distribution of loads on each particle at its multiple contacts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Micro mechanics of isotropic normal compression

McDowell

Bono

Yue

et al. 2013

Géotechnique Letters

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Discrete element modelling has been used to investigate the micro mechanics of isotropic normal compression. One-dimensional (1D) normal compression has previously been modelled in three dimensions using an oedometer and a large number of particles and without the use of agglomerates, and it was shown that the compression index was solely related to the strengths of the particles as a function of size. The same procedure is used here to model isotropic normal compression. The fracture of a particle is governed by the octahedral shear stress within the particle (due to the multiple contacts) and a Weibull distribution of strengths. The octahedral shear stresses, due to local anisotropic stresses within a sample with isotropic boundary stresses, are shown to give rise to a normal compression line (NCL) and the evolution of a distribution of particle sizes. The compression line is parallel to the 1D NCL in log e-log p space, in agreement with traditional critical state soil mechanics and confirming that the compression index is solely a function of the size effect on average particle strength, which determines the hardening law for the material. The paper shows, for the first time, how local octahedral shear stresses induced in the particles within the sample generate an isotropic normal (clastic) compression line.

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“…Crushing has generally been modelled using DEM via two alternatives: replacing 'breaking' grains with new, smaller fragments, generally in two-dimensions [23][24][25][26][27] or by using three-dimensional agglomerates [16,22,28,29]. In the latter method, no consideration was given to the complex distribution of loads on each particle at its multiple contacts; however, McDowell and de Bono [19] allowed three-dimensional particles to fracture without the use of agglomerates by considering the stresses induced in a particle due to the multiple contacts.…”

Section: Particle Crushingmentioning

confidence: 99%

DEM of triaxial tests on crushable cemented sand

2014

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Using the discrete element method, triaxial simulations of cemented sand consisting of crushable particles are presented. The triaxial model used features a flexible membrane, allowing realistic deformation to occur, and cementation is modelled using inter-particle bonds. The effects of particle crushing are explored, as is the influence of cementation on the behaviour of the soil. An insight to the effects that cementation has on the degree of crushing is presented.

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Discrete element modelling of soil particle fracture

Cited by 174 publications

References 9 publications

An approach to enhance efficiency of DEM modelling of soils with crushable grains

An approach to enhance efficiency of DEM modelling of soils with crushable grains

Micro mechanics of isotropic normal compression

DEM of triaxial tests on crushable cemented sand

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