Micromechanics of shear bands

Abstract

In the past, we have developed a micromechanically-based constitutive model of a 2D, monodisperse granular assembly consisting of circular particles, in which the tangential displacements at particle-particle contacts were limited to microslip only i.e. particles do not slide relative to each other. This constitutive law was later extended, using slightly more advanced contact laws, to include sliding contacts, along with the potential for loss of contacts. Furthermore, through these contact laws, evolution of the distribution of contact modes (non-sliding or microslip contacts, sliding contacts and loss of contacts), contact forces and the density of contact directions, can be determined as..