Toward generalized continuum models of granular soil and granular soil-tire interaction: A combined discrete element and thermomicromechanical continuum analysis of densely packed assemblies
Abstract
Under this research program, we pioneered the development of a new breed of high-resolution micromechanical continuum models of granular materials - with experimentally proven predictive capabilities for emergent structures spanning the length scales from only a few particles through to the macroscopic scale of engineering systems and processes. This breakthrough is underpinned by four disciplines of Mechanics, woven together for the first time into one complete methodology for constitutive model development: Micromechanics (the multiscale analysis of behaviour of heterogeneous media from the microscale to observable macroscopic level); Contact Mechanics (the study of interaction between deformable solids in contact); Thermomechanics (the branch of Mechanics devoted to Thermodynamics); and Micropolar or Cosserat Theory (the study of continuum bodies whose kinematics and kinetics have been enriched by the addition of rotational degrees of freedom to each material point). Unique aspects of this approach are: "high-resolution" predictive capability; clear link between macro and micro behaviour; input parameters being identical to those used in particle-based simulations thereby permitting direct comparison of model predictions with simulation and experiments; guaranteed compliance with the laws of thermodynamics. Comparison with experiments show the model can capture emergent internal structures whose characteristic length scales are only a few particles wide, e.g. shear bands. The model can also capture the evolution of novel anisotropies inside the shear band, (e.g. force chains).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 30, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA470736
Entities
People
- Antoinette Tordesillas
Organizations
- University of Melbourne