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Freestanding loadbearing structures with Z-shaped particles

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Abstract

Architectural structures such as masonry walls or columns exhibit a slender verticality, in contrast to the squat, sloped forms obtained with typical unconfined granular materials. Here we demonstrate the ability to create freestanding, weight-bearing, similarly slender and vertical structures by the simple pouring of suitably shaped dry particles into a mold that is subsequently removed. Combining experiments and simulations we explore a family of particle types that can entangle through their non-convex, hooked shape. We show that Z-shaped particles produce granular aggregates which can either be fluid and pourable, or solid and rigid enough to maintain vertical interfaces and build freestanding columns of large aspect ratio (\(>\)10) that support compressive loads without external confinement. We investigate the stability of such columns with uniaxial compression, bending, and vibration tests and compare with other particle types including U-shaped particles and rods. We find a pronounced anisotropy in the internal stress propagation together with strong strain-stiffening, which stabilizes rather than destabilizes the structures under load.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Leah Roth, Victor Lee, and Sid Nagel for many illuminating discussions. This works was supported by the NSF through CBET-1334426 and by the University of Chicagos Arete B.I.G. program. Use of the Chicago MRSECs shared experimental facilities, supported by NSF through DMR-1420709, is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chicago, IL, USA

    Kieran A. Murphy, Nikolaj Reiser, Darius Choksy, Clare E. Singer & Heinrich M. Jaeger

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  1. Kieran A. Murphy
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  2. Nikolaj Reiser
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  3. Darius Choksy
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  4. Clare E. Singer
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  5. Heinrich M. Jaeger
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Correspondence to Kieran A. Murphy.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Jamming-Based Aleatory Architectures.

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Murphy, K.A., Reiser, N., Choksy, D. et al. Freestanding loadbearing structures with Z-shaped particles. Granular Matter 18, 26 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-015-0600-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-015-0600-2

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