Abstract Grain-scale characteristics and formation history determine spatial variability in granular masses. We investigate the effect of spatially varying stiffness on the load-deformation response under zero-lateral strain conditions using numerical simulations of correlated random fields, where the granular medium is represented by a non-linear stress-dependent meso-scale model. Results show that stiffness heterogeneity results in higher global compressibility as compared to the homogeneous medium with the same arithmetic mean stiffness. Furthermore, the non-homogeneous stress field that develops inside the granular mass is characterized by focused load transfer along columnar regions, higher stress anisotropy and lower horizontal-to-vertical stress ratio $ K_{0} $ than in a granular medium of homogenous stiffness. As the applied stress increases, the inherent stress-dependent response of the granular material leads to a more homogenous stress field. While greater variance in stiffness causes lower global stiffness, a longer correlation length results in greater variance in global mechanical response among multiple realizations.
Spatially Varying Small-strain Stiffness in Soils Subjected to $ K_{0} $ Loading
KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering ; 22 , 4 ; 1101-1108
2018
Article (Journal)
English
BKL: | 55.80 Verkehrswesen, Transportwesen: Allgemeines, Verkehrswesen, Transportwesen: Allgemeines / 74.75 Verkehrsplanung, Verkehrspolitik, Verkehrsplanung, Verkehrspolitik / 55.80 Verkehrswesen, Transportwesen: Allgemeines / 56.24 Straßenbau, Straßenbau / 56.24 Straßenbau / 74.75 Verkehrsplanung, Verkehrspolitik |
Spatially Varying Small-strain Stiffness in Soils Subjected to K0 Loading
Springer Verlag | 2017
|Compressibility and small strain stiffness of kaolin clay mixed with varying amounts of sand
Online Contents | 2017
|Compressibility and small strain stiffness of kaolin clay mixed with varying amounts of sand
Springer Verlag | 2017
|On The Stiffness Prediction of GFRP Pipes Subjected to Transverse Loading
Springer Verlag | 2018
|