@article {285,
	title = {Quasistatic rheology and microstructural description of sheared granular materials composed of platy particles},
	journal = {Physical Review E},
	volume = {87},
	year = {2013},
	month = {Mar-28-2013},
	pages = {Article Number: 032206},
	abstract = {<p>This is the first paper of a series devoted to the micro-mechanical modeling of clayey soils, by means of discrete element simulations. We specifically focus here on the effect of the platy shape of particles by reducing the interactions between particles to mechanical contact forces (i.e., neither electrostatic repulsion nor van der Waals forces are taken into account). The particles are three-dimensional square plates, approximated as spheropolyhedra. Several samples composed of particles of different levels of platyness (related to the ratio of length to thickness) were numerically prepared and sheared up to large deformations. We analyzed the shear strength, packing fraction, orientation of the particles, connectivity, fabric of the interactions network, and interaction forces as functions of the platyness. We find that both the mechanical behavior and microstructure are strongly dependent on the degree of platyness. The principal underlying phenomenon is the alignment of particle faces along a particular direction. This ordering phenomenon, which emerges even for shapes that deviate only slightly from that of a sphere, enhances the ability of the packing to develop an anisotropic structure leading to large shear strength, especially as a consequence of the fabric and mobilization of friction forces. Moreover, the connectivity of the packings and their packing fraction also evolve with the platyness. In particular, the packing fraction evolves in a nonmonotonic fashion, as observed in other granular materials composed of elongated or angular particles.</p>
},
	issn = {1539-3755},
	doi = {10.1103/PhysRevE.87.032206},
	author = {Boton, Mauricio and Emilien Az{\'e}ma and Estrada, Nicolas and Farhang Radja{\"\i} and Lizcano, Arcesio}
}
@proceedings {363,
	title = {Shear strength and microstructure of 3D assemblies of platy particles},
	journal = {7th International Conference on Micromechanics of Granular Media (Powders and Grains)},
	volume = {Book Series: AIP Conference Proceedings  POWDERS AND GRAINS 2013},
	year = {2013},
	month = {Jul-09-2013},
	pages = {519-522},
	address = {JUL 08-12 2013 Sydney, AUSTRALIA},
	abstract = {<p>As a first step towards particle-scale modeling of clayey soils, we investigate the mechanical behavior and microstructure of assemblies of three-dimensional rectangular platy particles by means of the discrete element method. Several samples composed of particles of different levels of platyness (ratio of width to thickness) were numerically prepared and sheared to large deformations. We analyze the shear strength, packing fraction, connectivity, contact and force anisotropies, and mobilization of friction forces as functions of platyness.We find that both the mechanical behavior and microstructure are strongly dependent on the degree of platyness. This happens, in particular, because of the alignment of particle faces along a particular direction. Additionally, as observed for other granular materials with complex shapes, the packing fraction passes by a peak value before decreasing for larger values of platyness.</p>
},
	keywords = {Clays, DEM, Microstructure, Shear strength},
	url = {https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00842787},
	author = {Boton, Mauricio and Emilien Az{\'e}ma and Estrada, Nicolas and Farhang Radja{\"\i} and Lizcano, Arcesio},
	editor = {Yu, A and Dong, K and Yang, R}
}
