Effect of particle size distribution on micro- and macromechanical response of granular packings under compression

• The mechanical properties of polydisperse granular media were investigated.
• Uniaxial compression test was modelled using discrete element method.
• Coordination number decreased with increasing polydispersity of granular packing.
• The Poisson’s ratio increased with increasing polydispersity of granular packing.

The role of particle size heterogeneity on micro- and macromechanical properties of assemblies of spherical particles was studied using DEM simulations. The response to an imposed load of a granular material composed of non-uniformly sized spheres subjected to uniaxial confined compression was investigated. A range of geometrical and micro-mechanical properties of granular packings (e.g., void fraction, contact force distribution, average coordination number and degree of mobilisation of friction at contacts between particles) were examined, and provided a more accurate interpretation of the macroscopic behaviour of mixtures than has previously been available. The macromechanical study included stress transmission, stiffness and angle of internal friction of the granular assemblies.The degree of polydispersity showed slight effect on both, the void fraction and the elastic properties of the system. The tendency for increase in the lateral-to-vertical pressure ratios was observed with an increasing degree of particle size heterogeneity; however, the different pressure ratios calculated for samples with various degrees of polydispersity lay within the range of data scatter.

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