Use of contact area trace to study the force distributions inside 2D granular systems

摘要

We have experimentally studied the distribu- tion of contact forces within two-dimensional granular packings with binary size distribution, composed of water- softener salt disks of uniform thickness, under an oedo- metric compression. We propose a simple experimental method based on the measurement of contact area to de- termine the forces that act at the point of contact between disks loaded in their plane. We confirm experimentally the results of numerical simulations on contact force distribu- tions within two-dimensional packings of disks under an oedometric compression.