Experimental validation of nonextensive scaling law in confined granular media

In this letter, we address the relationship between the statistical fluctuations of grain displacements for a full quasistatic plane shear experiment, and the corresponding anomalous diffusion exponent, $\alpha$. We experimentally validate a particular case of the so-called Tsallis-Bukman scaling law, $\alpha = 2 / (3 - q)$, where $q$ is obtained by fitting the probability density function (PDF) of the measured fluctuations with a $q$-Gaussian distribution, and the diffusion exponent is measured independently during the experiment. Applying an original technique, we are able to evince a transition from an anomalous diffusion regime to a Brownian behavior as a function of the length of the strain-window used to calculate the displacements of grains in experiments. The outstanding conformity of fitting curves to a massive amount of experimental data shows a clear broadening of the fluctuation PDFs as the length of the strain-window decreases, and an increment in the value of the diffusion exponent - anomalous diffusion. Regardless of the size of the strain-window considered in the measurements, we show that the Tsallis-Bukman scaling law remains valid, which is the first experimental verification of this relationship for a classical system at different diffusion regimes. We also note that the spatial correlations show marked similarities to the turbulence in fluids, a promising indication that this type of analysis can be used to explore the origins of the macroscopic friction in confined granular materials.Comment: 8 pages 4 figure

Liquid clustering and capillary pressure in granular media

International audienceBy means of extensive lattice Boltzmann simulations, we investigate the process of growth and coalescence of liquid clusters in a granular material as the amount of liquid increases. A homogeneous grain-liquid mixture is obtained by means of capillary condensation, thus providing meaningful statistics on the liquid distribution inside the granular material. The tensile stress carried by the grains as a function of the amount of condensed liquid reveals four distinct states, with a peak stress occurring at the transition from a primary coalescence process, where the cohesive strength is carried mostly by the grains, to a secondary process governed by the increase of the liquid cluster volumes. We show that the evolution of capillary states is correctly captured by a simple model accounting for the competing effects of the Laplace pressure and grain-liquid interface

The Alestle - Vol. 57 No. 30 - 01/11/2005

Vol. 57 No. 3

Experimental characterization of a cohesive zone model using Digital Image Correlation

International audienceIn recent years, cohesive-zone models have been formulated and used to numerically simulate the fracture of solid materials. Cohesive-zone models presented in the literature involve a 'jump' in the displacement field describing crack onset within a predefined interface network corresponding to interfaces between elements of the finite element (FE) mesh. The introduction of a virtual displacement jump is convenient to numerically manage micro-crack or void initiation, growth and coalescence. Until now, the forms of interface laws were mainly chosen in connection with the overall responses of specimens when subjected to standard loadings. In this study, a cohesive-zone model identification method is proposed based on the local material behaviour derived from kinematical measurements obtained by digital image correlation (DIC). A series of tensile loadings were performed for several damageable elastic-plastic materials on standard tensile specimens. Kinematical data analysis enabled early detection and tracking of the zone where the crack occurs. The results of this study highlight the potential of DIC to quantify damage and show how damage assessments can be inserted in cohesive-zone model identification

Analyse des autocontraintes dans un matériau granulaire humide

Nous présentons une analyse de la transmission des contraintes dans un matériau granulaire humide. L'étude repose sur des simulations numériques tridimensionnelles par éléments discrets. On montre que l'action de traction des ponts capillaires induit un réseau de particules autocontraintes qui s'organise sous forme de deux "phases" percolantes de pressions positives et négatives définies au niveau des particules. Des descripteurs statistiques de la microstructure et du réseau des forces sont utilisés pour caractériser la répartition des pressions. Le comportement biphasique des autocontraintes semble persister lorsque l'assemblage humide est soumis à une pression de confinement non nulle. Le nombre de liens en tension diminue et la phase négative se scinde en agrégats et en sites isolés

Volume, Peak discharges and Froude Number of Debris-Flow Surges: 10 Years of Monitoring on the Réal Torrent (France)

This work presents a summary of data on debris-flow monitoring stations focusing on the surge scale rather than full-scale debris-flow event (several fronts and surges with intermediate diluted flows). Surge-scale debris-flow data are not easily accessible for modellers but would be very beneficial for the community. A summary of the data processing protocol is offered, and its application to the monitoring station of the R?al Torrent is described (drainage area: 2 km2, SE France). Investigated bulk surge features are volume, front height, peak discharge, and Froude number. This investigation leads to statistical distributions of these parameters on 34 surges gathered from 2011 to 2020. Their volumes are typically a few thousand cubic metres, their peak flow height is 1 to 2 m, their peak discharge is a few dozens of cubic metres per second and their Froude number is near critical. Results drawn from this work will be a great asset for modellers to better feed their numerical experiments with realistic, field-driven features

Shear strength properties of wet granular materials

We investigate shear strength properties of wet granular materials in the pendular state (i.e. the state where the liquid phase is discontinuous) as a function of water content. Sand and glass beads were wetted and tested in a direct shear cell and under various confining pressures. In parallel, we carried out three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations by using an explicit equation expressing capillary force as a function of interparticle distance, water bridge volume and surface tension. We show that, due to the peculiar features of capillary interactions, the major influence of water content over the shear strength stems from the distribution of liquid bonds. This property results in shear strength saturation as a function of water content. We arrive at the same conclusion by a microscopic analysis of the shear strength. We propose a model that accounts for the capillary force, the granular texture and particle size polydispersity. We find fairly good agreement of the theoretical estimate of the shear strength with both experimental data and simulations. From numerical data, we analyze the connectivity and anisotropy of different classes of liquid bonds according to the sign and level of the normal force as well as the bond direction. We find that weak compressive bonds are almost isotropically distributed whereas strong compressive and tensile bonds have a pronounced anisotropy. The probability distribution function of normal forces is exponentially decreasing for strong compressive bonds, a decreasing power-law function over nearly one decade for weak compressive bonds and an increasing linear function in the range of tensile bonds. These features suggest that different bond classes do not play the same role with respect to the shear strength.Comment: 12 page

A benchmark for particle shape dependence

International audienceParticle shape is a major parameter for the space-filling and strength properties of granular materials. For a systematic investigation of shape effect, a numerical benchmark test was set up within a collaborative group using different numerical methods and particles of various shape characteristics such as elongation, angularity and nonconvexity. Extensive 2D shear simulations were performed in this framework and the shear strength and packing fraction were compared for different shapes.We show that the results may be analyzed in terms of a low-order shape parameter h describing the degree of distortion from a perfectly circular shape. In particular, the shear strength is an increasing function of h with nearly the same trend for all shapes, the differences being of second order compared to h. We also observe a nontrivial behavior of packing fraction which, for all our simulated shapes, increases with h from the random close packing fraction for disks, reaches a peak considerably higher than that for disks, and subsequently declines as h is further increased. Finally, the analysis of contact forces for the same value of h leads to very similar statistics regardless of our specific particle shapes