Experimental and numerical assessment of a cubical sample produced by pluviation. Issue 2 (3rd June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Camenen, J. F.; Cavarretta, I.; Hamlin, S.; Ibraim, E.
• Is Part Of: Géotechnique letters. Volume 3:Issue 2(2013)
• Page Start: 44
• Page End: 51
• Publication Date: 2013-06-03
• Subjects: discrete-element modelling -- fabric/structure of soils -- laboratory equipment -- laboratory tests -- particle-scale behaviour; Geotechnical engineering -- Periodicals; Engineering geology -- Periodicals; 624.151
• DOI: 10.1680/geolett.13.00028
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-2543

Abstract

Abstract : A pluviation device for the fabrication of cubical samples of granular materials has been recently developed. The granular material is pluviated under gravitational loading through a rectangular Perspex tube. The pluviator is also designed to allow the control of the height of fall. Using a high-speed camera, observations of sample construction of uniformly graded spherical coarse glass ballotini have been made from one side of the apparatus and macro-scale properties of the created granular assembly (such as void ratio and density) have been assessed. This work focuses on the development of a three-dimensional discrete numerical model, based on the contact dynamics method, which simulates the whole fabrication process and provides detailed investigation of the micro-scale properties (energetic layer) and material inherent fabric (formation of ordered structure and wall effects, distribution of the orientations of the normal particle contacts).