Discrete models of force chain networks

Journal Article

A fundamental property of any material is its response to a localized stress applied at a boundary. For granular materials consisting of hard, cohesionless particles, not even the general form of the stress response is known. Directed force chain networks (DFCNs) provide a theoretical frame-work for addressing this issue, and analysis of simplified DFCN models reveal both rich mathematical structure and surprising properties. We review some basic elements of DFCN models and present a class of homogeneous solutions for cases in which force chains are restricted to lie on a discrete set of directions.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Socolar, JES

Published Date

  • January 1, 2003

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 3 / 4

Start / End Page

  • 601 - 618

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1531-3492

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.3934/dcdsb.2003.3.601

Citation Source

  • Scopus