Estimating vertical and lateral pressures in periodically structured montmorillonite clay particles

Guillermo A Narsilio1, David W Smith, Peter Pivonka

  • 1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Melbourne Civil Engineering Block, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.

Summary

Clay particle interactions under load are simulated using computational micromechanics. Overlapping electrical double-layers generate disjoining pressure, enabling effective stress without direct particle contact.

Related Concept Videos

Fluid Pressure over Curved Plate of Constant Width01:12

Fluid Pressure over Curved Plate of Constant Width

When a curved plate of constant width is submerged in a liquid, the pressure acting normal to the plate varies continuously both in magnitude and direction. Calculating the magnitude and location of the resultant force at a point is often challenging for such cases. One of the methods to determine the resultant force and its location involves separately calculating the horizontal and vertical components of the resultant force. This complex calculation can be simplified by representing the...
Fluid Pressure over Flat Plate of Variable Width01:02

Fluid Pressure over Flat Plate of Variable Width

When a flat plate is submerged in a fluid, the fluid exerts pressure on the plate. This pressure can lead to many different phenomena, including drag and buoyancy. To understand the behavior of the fluid over a flat plate of variable width, it is essential to analyze the distribution of the pressure exerted.
The pressure distribution on the plate can be calculated by determining the force that acts on a differential area strip of the plate. Thus, the magnitude of the force is equal to the...
Fluid Pressure over Flat Plate of Constant Width01:05

Fluid Pressure over Flat Plate of Constant Width

When a body is submerged in water, it experiences fluid pressure acting normal on its surface and distributed over its area. For better design structures, it is crucial to determine the magnitude and location of the resultant force acting on the surface. In the case of a rectangular plate of constant width submerged in water, the pressure increases with depth, resulting in a linearly varying trapezoidal pressure distribution from the upper to the lower edge of the plate.
The resultant force...
Stresses under Combined Loadings01:23

Stresses under Combined Loadings

When analyzing a bent tube with a circular cross-section subjected to multiple forces, it is crucial to determine the stress distribution in order to maintain structural integrity under varied load conditions.
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...
Concept of Pressure at a Point01:15

Concept of Pressure at a Point

The concept of pressure at a point in a fluid establishes that pressure within a fluid is uniform in all directions at a specific location. This uniformity occurs because fluid molecules exert force evenly across any point due to their random motion and continuous collisions within the fluid. Pressure at a point is determined by the surrounding fluid molecules and is influenced by factors like depth and density, rather than by shape or orientation.
In a fluid at rest, pressure acts equally in...
Relation between Poisson's ratio, Modulus of Elasticity and Modulus of Rigidity01:15

Relation between Poisson's ratio, Modulus of Elasticity and Modulus of Rigidity

Deformation occurs in axial and transverse directions when an axial load is applied to a slender bar. This deformation impacts the cubic element within the bar, transforming it into either a rectangular parallelepiped or a rhombus, contingent on its orientation. This transformation process induces shearing strain. Axial loading elicits both shearing and normal strains. Applying an axial load instigates equal normal and shearing stresses on elements oriented at a 45° angle to the load axis.