Micro-macro properties of quartz sand: Experimental investigation and DEM simulation

摘要

The ability to accurately simulate the realistic behavior of granular materials is one of the challenging issues of the numerical techniques. The first purpose of this study is to calibrate the microscopic properties of granular materials by Discrete Element Method (DEM). Coefficients of rolling and sliding friction as two main microscopic properties of granular material have a significant effect on the amount of macroscopic properties like Angle of Repose (AoR). Earlier studies indicated that the same AoR can be demonstrated by different combinations of the microscopic properties of materials. Therefore the AoR cannot singly be considered as a reliable criterion for DEM calibration, hence time as the second macroscopic property was considered along with the AoR for the calibration of microscopic properties. Furthermore, the need for further study in the field of fine particles led to the use of quartz sand with the diameter in the range of 300 to 600 pm in this study. It was assumed that the sand grains are spherical particles and dry material (non-cohesive).