Experimental measurement of granular fabric and its evolution under shearing

Abstract

X-ray μ computed tomography (CT) made three-dimensional in-situ imaging of natural granular materials possible. Previous work using x-ray μCT and triaxial compression tests has studied the 3D kinematics of individual grains during shear banding [1]. This works aims to supplement these measurements of kinematics with the measurement of different fabric entities, such as particle or contact orientations. It was found that the individual orientations of the different fabric entities pick up on the forming and the direction of the evolving shear band. The evolution of the anisotropy of the bulk of orientations corresponds to the macroscopic behaviour during the shearing test.