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Asymptotic behaviour of granular materials

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Abstract

The concept of the asymptotic behaviour of particulate materials is described, including its enhancement by considering asymptotic states in extension. A 3D discrete element model with elastic spherical particles and the granulometry of a real sand is set up. The numerical sample is stretched from different initial states, and the influence of the strain rate direction on the final state is studied within the stress ratio, void ratio and mean stress space. Asymptotic behaviour is clearly observed, although the grains remain intact (no grain crushing is considered). The extension asymptotic states were observed, and the notion of a normal extension line is introduced. The extension asymptotic states coincide with the peak states observed in the shear tests with constant stress path direction in dense samples.

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Notes

  1. Note that the isotropic asymptotic state is defined here by \(\psi _{\dot{\epsilon }}=0^\circ \); the corresponding asymptotic \(\psi _{\sigma }\) may then differ from \(0^\circ \) in the case of anisotropic structure.

  2. \(OCR\) is traditionally defined as \(OCR=p_c/p\), where \(p_c\) is the preconsolidation pressure. We prefer the definition (2), as no additional assumptions about the quasi-elastic soil behaviour are needed for its quantification.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank to Prof. Gerd Gudehus for valuable discussions on the subject, to Dr. Václav Šmilauer for the introduction to the discrete element software Yade and to an anonymous journal reviewer for his valuable comments on the manuscript. Financial support by the research grants GACR P105/12/1705 and TACR TA01031840 is greatly appreciated.

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  1. Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 12843 , Prague 2, Czech Republic

    David Mašín

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Mašín, D. Asymptotic behaviour of granular materials. Granular Matter 14, 759–774 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-012-0372-x

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