Seminar - Oded Ben-Nun - Numerical analysis of evolving gradings in crushable granular materials

Thursday 5 April 2007, 1.10 - 1.50 pm
Civil Engineering Lecture Theatre 3

Abstract
The purpose of most geotechnical foundations is to deliver the dynamic and static loads from the overlaying engineering structures to the soil, often being brittle sand. Grain crushing – a phenomenon that accompanies brittle sand – is often a consequence of these loads. The constitutive behavior of granular material is strongly influenced by the topological changes that arise from grain crushing. As an example, crushing may lead to significant reduction in the volume of voids, the hydraulic conductivity and the angle of shearing resistance. Therefore, sand crushing has to be thoroughly studied to gain profound understanding on the physical reasons behind this challenging problem, but also for being able to predict consequences, in the form of catastrophic collapse problems of civil engineering structures.

In this seminar I will present the development of a new algorithm that is aimed to allow discrete element simulations to accommodate grain crushing. The main advantage of this new capability is in enabling to visualise and analyse the evolution of sand crushing.