The influence of particle shape on the stress-strain and creep response of a fine silica sand

The influence of particle shape on the stress-strain response of fine silica sand is investigated experimentally. Two sands from the same source and with the same particle size distribution were examined using Fourier descriptor analysis for particle shape. Their grains were, on average, found to have similar angularity but different elongation. During triaxial stress path testing, the stress-strain behavior of the sands for both loading and creep stages were found to be influenced by particle elongation. In particular, the behavior of the sand with less elongated grains was more like that of rounded glass beads during creep. The results highlight the role of particle shape in stress transmission in granular packings and suggest that shape should be taken more rigorously into consideration in characterizing geomaterials. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group.

Discrete element calculations of the impact of a sand column against rigid structures

Discrete particle simulations of column of an aggregate of identical particles impacting a rigid, fixed target and a rigid, movable target are presented with the aim to understand the interaction of an aggregate of particles upon a structure. In most cases the column of particles is constrained against lateral expansion. The pressure exerted by the particles upon the fixed target (and the momentum transferred) is independent of the co-efficient of restitution and friction co-efficient between the particles but are strongly dependent upon the relative density of the particles in the column. There is a mild dependence on the contact stiffness between the particles which controls the elastic deformation of the densified aggregate of particles. In contrast, the momentum transfer to a movable target is strongly sensitive to the mass ratio of column to target. The impact event can be viewed as an inelastic collision between the sand column and the target with an effective co-efficient of restitution between 0 and 0.35 depending upon the relative density of the column. We present a foam analogy where impact of the aggregate of particles can be modelled by the impact of an equivalent foam projectile. The calculations on the equivalent projectile are significantly less intensive computationally and yet give predictions to within 5% of the full discrete particle calculations. They also suggest that "model" materials can be used to simulate the loading by an aggregate of particles within a laboratory setting. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic centrifuge tests on shallow tunnel models in dry sand

In the framework of the Italian research project ReLUIS-DPC, a set of centrifuge tests were carried out at the Schofield Centre in Cambridge (UK) to investigate the seismic behaviour of tunnels. Four samples of dry sand were prepared at different densities, in which a small scale model of circular tunnel was inserted, instrumented with gauges measuring hoop and bending strains. Arrays of accelerometers in the soil and on the box allowed the amplification of ground motion to be evaluated; LVDTs measured the soil surface settlement. This paper describes the main results of this research, showing among others the evolution of the internal forces during the model earthquakes at significant locations along the tunnel lining. © 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, London.

Use of automatic sand pourers for loose sand models

The consistency of laboratory sand model preparation for physical testing is a fundamental criterion in representing identical geotechnical issues at prototype scale. This objective led to the development of robotic apparatus to eliminate the non-uniformity in manual pouring. Previous studies have shown consistent sand models with high relative density between 50 to 90% produced by the automatic moving-hopper sand pourer at the University of Cambridge, based primarily on a linear correlation to flow rate. However, in the case of loose samples, the influence of other parameters, particularly the drop height, becomes more apparent. In this paper, findings on the effect of flow rate and drop height are discussed in relation to the layer thickness and relative density of loose sand samples. Design charts are presented to illustrate their relationships. The effect of these factors on different sand types is also covered to extend the use of the equipment. © 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, London.

CFD modeling of single-phase flow in a packed bed with MRI validation

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are becoming increasingly widespread with the advent of more powerful computers and more sophisticated software. The aim of these developments is to facilitate more accurate reactor design and optimization methods compared to traditional lumped-parameter models. However, in order for CFD to be a trusted method, it must be validated using experimental data acquired at sufficiently high spatial resolution. This article validates an in-house CFD code by comparison with flow-field data obtained using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for a packed bed with a particle-to-column diameter ratio of 2. Flows characterized by inlet Reynolds numbers, based on particle diameter, of 27, 55, 111, and 216 are considered. The code used employs preconditioning to directly solve for pressure in low-velocity flow regimes. Excellent agreement was found between the MRI and CFD data with relative error between the experimentally determined and numerically predicted flow-fields being in the range of 3-9%. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).