Title: Numerical study of bending test on compacted clay by Discrete Element Method: tensile strength determination

Authors: Abdelkader Ammeri, Mehrez Jamei, Mounir Bouassida, Olivier Ple, Pascal Villard, Jean-Pierre Gourc

Addresses: Geotechnical Engineering Research team, National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT), Tunisia. ' Civil Engineering Laboratory, National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT), Tunisia. ' Geotechnical Engineering Research team, National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT), Tunisia. ' Laboratoire 3S-R: Sols, Solides Structures et Risques, University Joseph Fourier of Grenoble, France. ' Laboratoire 3S-R: Sols, Solides Structures et Risques, University Joseph Fourier of Grenoble, France. ' Laboratoire d'Etude des Transferts en Hydrologie et Environnement, University Joseph Fourier of Grenoble, France

Abstract: In order to study the tensile compacted clay behaviour, a series of laboratory bending tests were carried out. The analysis of the results and the determination of the relevant parameters are difficult. Different numerical simulations using Discrete Element Method (DEM) were performed and compared with analytical differential model, which seems to be the most suitable to interpret bending test results for the clay soils. The DEM confirms that the compression stress remains a linear function until the failure. However, the tensile stresses increase as a non-linear function. The differential model remains efficient only when the tensile strain field is well measured.

Keywords: tensile strength; bending tests; modelling; DEM; discrete element method; compacted clay; clay soils; compression stress; tensile strain.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.2009.022698

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 2009 Vol.34 No.1, pp.13 - 22

Published online: 25 Jan 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article