Numerical stress response functions of static granular layers

Abstract

We investigate the stress response function of a layer of grains, i.e. the stress profile in response to a localized overload. The shape of the profile is very sensitive to the packing arrangement, and is thus a good signature of the preparation procedure of the layer. This study has been done by the use of molecular dynamics numerical simulations. Here, for a given rain-like preparation, we present the scaling properties of the response function, and in particular the influence of the thickness of the layer, and the importance of the location of the overload and measurement points (at the boundaries, in the bulk).Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the "Traffic and Granular Flow 2003" conferenc