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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/N20935/01
Title: NUMERICAL MODELLING OF CRUSHABLE AGGREGATES
Principal Investigator: McDowell, Professor G
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Sch of Civil Engineering
Organisation: University of Nottingham
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 October 2000 Ends: 30 September 2001 Value (£): 61,477
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Ground Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The proposed work is in the area of fundamental soil mechanics. The objective is to investigate the micro mechanical behaivour of crushable aggregates, in order to develop improved constitutive models to aid geotechnical design. In particular, the aim is to provide an improved understanding of the micro mechanical origins of yield and of plastic hardening in soil, and also of sub-yield hysteresis. This will enable geotechnical engineers to define reliable soil parameters: those for which the physical origins are understood. This will be achieved through the use of a computer programe PFC3D, which is the first discrete element program to facilitate modelling of the deformation of an aggregate comprising friable particles, whereby a crushable grain can be modelled a san agglomerate of many small spheres bonded together.The initial part of the project will involve the modelling of the fracture of single grains compressed diametrically between flat platens. This will facilitate the modelling of one-dimensional compression of aggregates, and it will be possible to model the particle size distribution which evolves as stress increases, and broken fragments fill available voids. The work will provide insight into plastic compression, and ultimately facilitate the modelling of crushable soil under triaxial conditions.
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Organisation Website: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk