Mechanical analysis and force chain determination in granular materials using digital image correlation.

Area of Science:

• Geotechnical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Physics of granular materials

Background:

• Granular material mechanical behavior depends on grain properties and microstructure.
• Understanding force transmission is crucial for predicting material response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a methodology for quantifying force transmission in granular materials.
• To analyze contact forces and force chains at the particle level.

Main Methods:

• Plane strain tests were conducted on granular materials.
• Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was used for non-contact measurement of particle displacements and strains.
• Hooke's law and Newtonian mechanics were applied to calculate stress and particle forces.

Main Results:

• The methodology successfully quantified local displacements and strains at the particle level.
• Average particle strain and stress were calculated.
• Contact forces and force chains were obtained and analyzed in 2D particle systems.

Conclusions:

• The developed methodology accurately measures particle-level stress and forces within granular materials.
• This approach has significant potential for analyzing real granular systems and their force transmission characteristics.