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Validation of the log e–log σ normal compression law using particle strength data (2017)
Journal Article
de Bono, J. P., & McDowell, G. R. (in press). Validation of the log e–log σ normal compression law using particle strength data. Géotechnique, https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.17.T.007

This note is a study of experimental data on particle strength and normal compression, to establish whether the recently proposed normal compression law by McDowell and de Bono (2013) is supported and confirmed. A number of different sands are examin... Read More about Validation of the log e–log σ normal compression law using particle strength data.

Discrete element modelling of scaled railway ballast under triaxial conditions (2016)
Journal Article
McDowell, G. R., & Li, H. (in press). Discrete element modelling of scaled railway ballast under triaxial conditions. Granular Matter, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-016-0663-8

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the use of tetrahedral clumps to model scaled railway ballast using the discrete element method (DEM). In experimental triaxial tests, the peak friction angles for scaled ballast are less sensitive to the confi... Read More about Discrete element modelling of scaled railway ballast under triaxial conditions.

Particle breakage criteria in discrete-element modelling (2016)
Journal Article
De Bono, J., & McDowell, G. (2016). Particle breakage criteria in discrete-element modelling. Géotechnique, 66(12), 1014-1027. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.15.P.280

© 2016, ICE Publishing. All rights reserved. Previous work by the authors using the discrete-element method (DEM) has used the octahedral shear stress within a sphere together with a Weibull distribution of strengths and a size effect on average stre... Read More about Particle breakage criteria in discrete-element modelling.

Investigating the effects of particle shape on normal compression and overconsolidation using DEM (2016)
Journal Article
de Bono, J. P., & McDowell, G. R. (in press). Investigating the effects of particle shape on normal compression and overconsolidation using DEM. Granular Matter, 18(3), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-016-0605-5

Discrete element modelling of normal compression has been simulated on a sample of breakable two-ball clumps and compared to that of spheres. In both cases the size effect on strength is assumed to be that of real silica sand. The slopes of the norma... Read More about Investigating the effects of particle shape on normal compression and overconsolidation using DEM.

The fractal micro mechanics of normal compression (2016)
Journal Article
de Bono, J. P., & McDowell, G. R. (2016). The fractal micro mechanics of normal compression. Computers and Geotechnics, 78, 11-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2016.04.018

The fundamental fractal micro mechanics of normal compression of granular materials is studied using DEM. This paper examines the emergence of a finite fractal bounded by two particle sizes as stress increases, and the evolution of various definition... Read More about The fractal micro mechanics of normal compression.

On the micro mechanics of one-dimensional normal compression (2015)
Journal Article
McDowell, G. R., & de Bono, J. P. (2015). On the micro mechanics of one-dimensional normal compression. Géotechnique, 63(11), https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.12.P.041

Discrete-element modelling has been used to investigate the micro mechanics of one-dimensional compression. One-dimensional compression is modelled in three dimensions using an oedometer and a large number of particles, and without the use of agglome... Read More about On the micro mechanics of one-dimensional normal compression.

Discrete element modelling and cavity expansion analysis of cone penetration testing (2015)
Journal Article
Falagush, O., McDowell, G. R., Yu, H., & de Bono, J. P. (in press). Discrete element modelling and cavity expansion analysis of cone penetration testing. Granular Matter, 17(4), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-015-0570-4

This paper uses the discrete element method (DEM) in three dimensions to simulate cone penetration testing (CPT) of granular materials in a calibration chamber. Several researchers have used different numerical techniques such as strain path methods... Read More about Discrete element modelling and cavity expansion analysis of cone penetration testing.

Micro mechanics of critical states for isotropically overconsolidated sand (2015)
Journal Article
McDowell, G. R., Yue, P., & de Bono, J. P. (2015). Micro mechanics of critical states for isotropically overconsolidated sand. Powder Technology, 283, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2015.05.043

The discrete element method has been used to investigate the micro mechanics of shearing to a critical state on the loose and dense sides of critical. Isotropic compression has previously been modelled in 3D using a large number of particles and with... Read More about Micro mechanics of critical states for isotropically overconsolidated sand.

Discrete element modelling of creep of asphalt mixtures (2015)
Journal Article
Cai, W., McDowell, G. R., Airey, G., & de Bono, J. P. (in press). Discrete element modelling of creep of asphalt mixtures. Geomechanics and Geoengineering, 11(1), https://doi.org/10.1080/17486025.2015.1006689

Creep tests on asphalt mixtures have been undertaken under four stress levels in the laboratory while the Discrete Element Model (DEM) has been used to simulate the laboratory tests. A modified Burger’s model has been used to represent the time-depen... Read More about Discrete element modelling of creep of asphalt mixtures.

Investigating the micro mechanics of cemented sand using DEM (2014)
Journal Article
de Bono, J. P., McDowell, G. R., & Wanatowski, D. (2015). Investigating the micro mechanics of cemented sand using DEM. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 39(6), https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.2340

The discrete element method has been used to investigate the micro mechanics of cemented sand. High pressure drained triaxial tests are modelled in 3D using a flexible membrane which allows the correct deformation to develop. Simulations with up to... Read More about Investigating the micro mechanics of cemented sand using DEM.

An insight into the yielding and normal compression of sand with irregularly-shaped particles using DEM (2014)
Journal Article
de Bono, J. P., & McDowell, G. R. (2015). An insight into the yielding and normal compression of sand with irregularly-shaped particles using DEM. Powder Technology, 271, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2014.11.013

The micro mechanics of one-dimensional and isotropic normal compression of granular soil have recently been revealed using the discrete element method. By modelling soil grains as spheres and implementing a new crushing model, the authors have previo... Read More about An insight into the yielding and normal compression of sand with irregularly-shaped particles using DEM.

Discrete element modelling of rock communition in a cone crusher using a bonded particle model (2014)
Journal Article
Li, H., McDowell, G. R., & Lowndes, I. (2014). Discrete element modelling of rock communition in a cone crusher using a bonded particle model. Géotechnique Letters, 4(2), https://doi.org/10.1680/geolett.14.00006

It is known that discrete element method modelling (DEM) of rock size reduction can be achieved by two approaches: the population balance model (PBM) and the bonded particle model (BPM). However, only PBM has been successfully used in DEM modelling c... Read More about Discrete element modelling of rock communition in a cone crusher using a bonded particle model.

Investigating geogrid-reinforced ballast: Experimental pull-out tests and discrete element modelling (2014)
Journal Article
Chen, C., McDowell, G., & Thom, N. (2014). Investigating geogrid-reinforced ballast: Experimental pull-out tests and discrete element modelling. Soils and Foundations, 54(1), 1-11. doi:10.1016/j.sandf.2013.12.001

This paper presents an evaluation of the interlocking behaviour of geogrid-reinforced railway ballast. Experimental large box pull-out tests were conducted to examine the interaction between ballast and a biaxial geogrid. The discrete element method... Read More about Investigating geogrid-reinforced ballast: Experimental pull-out tests and discrete element modelling.

Discrete element modelling of a rock cone crusher (2014)
Journal Article
Li, H., McDowell, G. R., & Lowndes, I. (2014). Discrete element modelling of a rock cone crusher. Powder Technology, 263, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2014.05.004

The feasibility of the discrete element method to model the performance of a cone crusher comminution machine has been explored using the particle replacement method (PRM) to represent the size reduction of rocks experienced within a crusher chamber.... Read More about Discrete element modelling of a rock cone crusher.

DEM of triaxial tests on crushable sand (2014)
Journal Article
de Bono, J. P., & McDowell, G. R. (2014). DEM of triaxial tests on crushable sand. Granular Matter, 16(4), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-014-0500-x

This paper presents simulations of high-pressure triaxial shear tests on a crushable sand. The discrete element method is used, featuring a large number of particles and avoiding the use of agglomerates. The triaxial model features a flexible membran... Read More about DEM of triaxial tests on crushable sand.

DEM of triaxial tests on crushable cemented sand (2014)
Journal Article
de Bono, J. P., McDowell, G. R., & Wanatowski, D. (2014). DEM of triaxial tests on crushable cemented sand. Granular Matter, 16(4), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-014-0502-8

Using the discrete element method, triaxial simulations of cemented sand consisting of crushable particles are presented. The triaxial model used features a flexible membrane, allowing realistic deformation to occur, and cementation is modelled using... Read More about DEM of triaxial tests on crushable cemented sand.

Discrete element modelling of one-dimensional compression of cemented sand (2013)
Journal Article
de Bono, J. P., & McDowell, G. R. (2014). Discrete element modelling of one-dimensional compression of cemented sand. Granular Matter, 16(1), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-013-0466-0

It has recently been shown that the one-dimensional normal compression of sand can be modelled effectively in three-dimensions using the discrete element method, and that the slope of the compression curve (in log voids ratio–log stress space) is con... Read More about Discrete element modelling of one-dimensional compression of cemented sand.

Micro mechanics of isotropic normal compression (2013)
Journal Article
McDowell, G. R., de Bono, J. P., Yue, P., & Yu, H. (2013). Micro mechanics of isotropic normal compression. Géotechnique Letters, 3(4), https://doi.org/10.1680/geolett.13.00050

Discrete element modelling has been used to investigate the micro mechanics of isotropic normal compression. One-dimensional (1D) normal compression has previously been modelled in three dimensions using an oedometer and a large number of particles a... Read More about Micro mechanics of isotropic normal compression.

A new creep law for crushable aggregates (2013)
Journal Article
McDowell, G. R., & de Bono, J. P. (2013). A new creep law for crushable aggregates. Géotechnique Letters, 3(3), https://doi.org/10.1680/geolett.13.00030

The authors have recently proposed a new equation for the one-dimensional (1D) normal compression line, which contains a parameter controlling the size effect on average strength. They showed that the equation held for a wide range of discrete-elemen... Read More about A new creep law for crushable aggregates.

A study of geogrid-reinforced ballast using laboratory pull-out tests and discrete element modelling (2013)
Journal Article
Chen, C., McDowell, G. R., & Thom, N. (in press). A study of geogrid-reinforced ballast using laboratory pull-out tests and discrete element modelling. Geomechanics and Geoengineering, 8(4), https://doi.org/10.1080/17486025.2013.805253

This paper presents an evaluation of the behaviour of geogrid-reinforced railway ballast. Experimental large box pull-out tests were conducted to examine the key parameters influencing the interaction between ballast and the geogrid. The experimental... Read More about A study of geogrid-reinforced ballast using laboratory pull-out tests and discrete element modelling.