Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Stress Distribution During Cold Compression of Rocks and Mineral Aggregates Using Synchrotron-based X-Ray Diffraction
Published on: May 20, 2018
Granular elasticity: stress distributions in silos and under point loads
Kurt Bräuer1, Michael Pfitzner, Dmitry O Krimer
1Theoretische Physik, Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Abstract:
An elastic-strain-stress relation, the result of granular elasticity as introduced in the preceding paper, is employed here to calculate the stress distribution (a) in cylindrical silos and (b) under point loads assuming uniform density. In silos, the ratio k{J} between the horizontal and vertical stress is found to be constant (as conjectured by Janssen) and given as k{J}=1-sin phi (with phi the Coulomb yield angle), in agreement with a construction industry standard usually referred to as the Jaky formula. Next, the stress distribution at the bottom of a granular layer exposed to a point force at its top is calculated. The results include both vertical and oblique point forces, which agree well with simulations and experiments using rainlike preparation. Moreover, the stress distribution of a sheared granular layer exposed to the same point force is calculated and again found in agreement with given data.
More Related Videos
07:53Cutting Procedures, Tensile Testing, and Ageing of Flexible Unidirectional Composite Laminates
Published on: April 27, 2019
09:00Visualization of Failure and the Associated Grain-Scale Mechanical Behavior of Granular Soils under Shear using Synchrotron X-Ray Micro-Tomography
Published on: September 29, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Stress: General Loading Conditions
The shearing force, possessing potential directionality within the plane of the section, is simplified into two component forces running parallel to the x and y axes.
Elastic Strain Energy for Shearing Stresses
Relation between Poisson's ratio, Modulus of Elasticity and Modulus of Rigidity
Shearing Stresses in a Beam: Problem Solving
Stresses under Combined Loadings
The process begins by slicing the tube at critical points and analyzing the internal forces and stress components at these sections, focusing on the centroid. Normal stresses, generated by axial forces and bending moments, are either compressive or tensile and vary across the section from...
Residual Stresses in Bending