Hydromechanical state of soil fluidisation: a microscale perspective

Haq, S; Indraratna, B; Nguyen, TT; Rujikiatkamjorn, C

Hydromechanical state of soil fluidisation: a microscale perspective

Haq, S Indraratna, B

Nguyen, TT Rujikiatkamjorn, C

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Publisher:: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Acta Geotechnica, 2022
Issue Date:: 2022-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Haq, S
dc.contributor.author	Indraratna, B https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9057-1514
dc.contributor.author	Nguyen, TT
dc.contributor.author	Rujikiatkamjorn, C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8625-2839
dc.date.accessioned	2023-01-17T06:24:11Z
dc.date.available	2023-01-17T06:24:11Z
dc.date.issued	2022-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Acta Geotechnica, 2022
dc.identifier.issn	1861-1125
dc.identifier.issn	1861-1133
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/165073
dc.description.abstract	This paper investigates soil fluidisation at the microscale using the discrete element method (DEM) in combination with the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Numerical simulations were carried out at varying hydraulic gradients across the granular assembly of soil. The development of local hydraulic gradients, the contact distribution, and the associated fabric changes were investigated. Microscale findings suggest that a critical hydromechanical state inducing fluid-like instability of a granular assembly can be defined by a substantial increase in grain slip associated with a rapid reduction in interparticle contacts. Based on these results, a new micromechanical criterion is proposed to characterise the transformation of granular soil from a hydromechanically stable to an unstable state. The constraint ratio (ratio of the number of constraints to the number of degrees of freedom) is introduced to portray the relative slippage between particles and the loss of interparticle contacts within the granular fabric. Its magnitude of unity corresponds to the condition of zero effective stress, representing the critical hydromechanical state. In practical terms, the results of this study reflect the phenomenon of subgrade mud pumping that occurs in railways when heavy-haul trains pass through at certain axle loads and speeds.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP160101254
dc.relation.ispartof	Acta Geotechnica
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s11440-022-01674-7
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/ s11440-022-01674-7
dc.subject	0905 Civil Engineering
dc.subject.classification	Geological & Geomatics Engineering
dc.title	Hydromechanical state of soil fluidisation: a microscale perspective
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2023-01-17T06:24:10Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

This paper investigates soil fluidisation at the microscale using the discrete element method (DEM) in combination with the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Numerical simulations were carried out at varying hydraulic gradients across the granular assembly of soil. The development of local hydraulic gradients, the contact distribution, and the associated fabric changes were investigated. Microscale findings suggest that a critical hydromechanical state inducing fluid-like instability of a granular assembly can be defined by a substantial increase in grain slip associated with a rapid reduction in interparticle contacts. Based on these results, a new micromechanical criterion is proposed to characterise the transformation of granular soil from a hydromechanically stable to an unstable state. The constraint ratio (ratio of the number of constraints to the number of degrees of freedom) is introduced to portray the relative slippage between particles and the loss of interparticle contacts within the granular fabric. Its magnitude of unity corresponds to the condition of zero effective stress, representing the critical hydromechanical state. In practical terms, the results of this study reflect the phenomenon of subgrade mud pumping that occurs in railways when heavy-haul trains pass through at certain axle loads and speeds.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/165073