DEM study on the effect of particle breakage on the macro- and micro-behavior of rockfill sheared along different stress paths

The behavior of crushable rockfill sheared along different stress paths is studied using the discrete element method. Rockfill particles are modeled as breakable agglomerates, and reasonable consistency is found between the predicted and experimental results. The simulation highlights the influence of agglomerate breakage on both the macro- and micro-behavior of the assembly. The evolution of both the number and mode of agglomerate breakage during shearing is significantly influenced by the confining pressure, deviator stress ratio, and loading direction. The relationship between the deviator stress ratio on the macro-scale and the deviator fabric on the micro-scale along different stress paths is explored.