The behaviour of an assembly of rotund, rigid, cohesionless particles. I

Abstract

Abstract The mechanism of deformation implied in Howe’s stress-dilatancy theory for an irregular assembly of rigid cohesionless particles is examined. Limiting relations are established between the number of fixed and sliding contacts and the numbers of particles and sliding groups of particles. The ratio of energy transmitted through the assembly to energy supplied is expressed in terms of the orientations of the sliding contact planes and directions of sliding between pairs of particles. It is shown that these orientations and directions of sliding can be obtained by maximizing the energy transmission ratio, or by an equivalent procedure, namely the minimization of the ratio of energy absorbed in internal friction to energy supplied.