Grain Size Effect on the Mechanical Behavior of Cohesionless Coarse-Grained Soils with the Discrete Element Method

Biaxial compression tests with the same specimen size and different maximum grain sizes were simulated for coarse-grained soils using the discrete element method to study the influence of grain size on the mechanical properties and force chain. The maximum grain sizes were 40, 20, 10, and 5 mm, resp...

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Main Authors: Renjie Wen, Cai Tan, Yong Wu, Chen Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:Advances in Civil Engineering
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/4608930
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author Renjie Wen
Cai Tan
Yong Wu
Chen Wang
author_facet Renjie Wen
Cai Tan
Yong Wu
Chen Wang
author_sort Renjie Wen
collection DOAJ
description Biaxial compression tests with the same specimen size and different maximum grain sizes were simulated for coarse-grained soils using the discrete element method to study the influence of grain size on the mechanical properties and force chain. The maximum grain sizes were 40, 20, 10, and 5 mm, respectively. The grading with self-similar fractal structure in mass is designed to ensure the same pore structure for soils. The shear strength increased with the increase in maximum grain size. Evident increase in shear strength and significant size effect were observed when the ratio of the specimen diameter to maximum grain size was less than five. The shear dilation of coarse-grained soils increases with the increase in maximum grain size. The contact force distribution was uniform when maximum grain size was small but tends to be uneven with the increase in maximum grain size, thereby causing the increase in shear strength by stable strong force chains. This finding demonstrates size effect on the mechanical properties and force chain of cohesionless coarse-grained soils under the biaxial compression condition.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1687-8086
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publishDate 2018-01-01
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series Advances in Civil Engineering
spelling doaj-art-4c8d0c36758a47bc8b8cf9c0ce4285152025-08-20T03:34:18ZengWileyAdvances in Civil Engineering1687-80861687-80942018-01-01201810.1155/2018/46089304608930Grain Size Effect on the Mechanical Behavior of Cohesionless Coarse-Grained Soils with the Discrete Element MethodRenjie Wen0Cai Tan1Yong Wu2Chen Wang3State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource and Hydropower Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaGuangdong Research Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower, Guangzhou 510610, ChinaThe Upper Reaches of the Huadian Jinsha River Hydropower Development Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610041, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource and Hydropower Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaBiaxial compression tests with the same specimen size and different maximum grain sizes were simulated for coarse-grained soils using the discrete element method to study the influence of grain size on the mechanical properties and force chain. The maximum grain sizes were 40, 20, 10, and 5 mm, respectively. The grading with self-similar fractal structure in mass is designed to ensure the same pore structure for soils. The shear strength increased with the increase in maximum grain size. Evident increase in shear strength and significant size effect were observed when the ratio of the specimen diameter to maximum grain size was less than five. The shear dilation of coarse-grained soils increases with the increase in maximum grain size. The contact force distribution was uniform when maximum grain size was small but tends to be uneven with the increase in maximum grain size, thereby causing the increase in shear strength by stable strong force chains. This finding demonstrates size effect on the mechanical properties and force chain of cohesionless coarse-grained soils under the biaxial compression condition.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/4608930
spellingShingle Renjie Wen
Cai Tan
Yong Wu
Chen Wang
Grain Size Effect on the Mechanical Behavior of Cohesionless Coarse-Grained Soils with the Discrete Element Method
Advances in Civil Engineering
title Grain Size Effect on the Mechanical Behavior of Cohesionless Coarse-Grained Soils with the Discrete Element Method
title_full Grain Size Effect on the Mechanical Behavior of Cohesionless Coarse-Grained Soils with the Discrete Element Method
title_fullStr Grain Size Effect on the Mechanical Behavior of Cohesionless Coarse-Grained Soils with the Discrete Element Method
title_full_unstemmed Grain Size Effect on the Mechanical Behavior of Cohesionless Coarse-Grained Soils with the Discrete Element Method
title_short Grain Size Effect on the Mechanical Behavior of Cohesionless Coarse-Grained Soils with the Discrete Element Method
title_sort grain size effect on the mechanical behavior of cohesionless coarse grained soils with the discrete element method
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/4608930
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AT caitan grainsizeeffectonthemechanicalbehaviorofcohesionlesscoarsegrainedsoilswiththediscreteelementmethod
AT yongwu grainsizeeffectonthemechanicalbehaviorofcohesionlesscoarsegrainedsoilswiththediscreteelementmethod
AT chenwang grainsizeeffectonthemechanicalbehaviorofcohesionlesscoarsegrainedsoilswiththediscreteelementmethod