Granular element method (GEM): linking inter-particle forces with macroscopic loading

Abstract

We present a new method capable of inferring, for the first time, inter-particle contact forces in irregularly-shaped natural granular materials (e.g., sands), using basic Newtonian mechanics and balance of linear momentum at the particle level. The method furnishes a relationship between inter-particle forces and corresponding average particle stresses, which can be inferred, for instance, from measurements of average particle strains emanating from advanced experimental techniques (e.g., 3D X-ray diffraction). Inter-particle forces are the missing link in understanding how forces are transmitted in complex granular structures and the key to developing physics-based constitutive models. We present two numerical examples to verify the method and showcase its promise.