Abstract :
This paper presents the effect of sample size on the macro- and micro-scale behaviors of granular materials such as sand using the three-dimensional (3d) discrete element method (dem). Three numerical samples of different sizes were prepared using spheres as particles. During the random sample generation, spheres of different radii were placed randomly in a cube without any contact. After the random generation of three successful samples, they were subjected to isotropic compression by moving their boundaries inward. Simulations of true triaxial compression tests were carried out using these samples to investigate their behaviors both at macro- and micro-scale. The numerical results indicate that the tress-strain-dilative behavior agrees well with the laboratory based experimental results qualitatively for different sample sizes. Small size sample attains the highest strength and it decreases as the sample size increases.
Keyword :
Sample Size, Micro-Scale, Granular Materials, Simulations