The effect of local kinematics on the local and global deformations of granular systems

Abstract

Despite the prevalent use of continuum mechanics for the modeling of granular materials, the controversy surrounding the relationship between the properties of the discrete medium and those of its equivalent continuum has far from abated. The concept of strain is especially problematic. In a continuum body, the strain represents the deformation of an infinitesimal region about a material point. In a discrete granular assembly, however, deformation is governed by the relative motions of the constituent grains. Herein, we introduce a new microstructural definition for the deformation of a granular material within the framework of Micropolar Continuum Theory. The advantages of the new strain de..