This study presents a hierarchical multiscale approach that combines the finite-element method (FEM) and the discrete-element method (DEM) to investigate tunneling-induced ground responses in coarse-grained soils. The approach considers both particle-scale physical characteristics and engineering-scale boundary value problems (BVPs) simultaneously, accurately reproducing typical tunneling-induced mechanical responses in coarsegrained soils, including soil arching and ground movement characteristics observed in laboratory tests and engineering practice. The study also unveils particle-scale mechanisms responsible for the evolution of soil arching through the underlying DEM-based RVEs. The results show that the rearrangement of microstructures and the deflection of strong contact force chains drive the rotation of macroscopic principal stress and the formation of soil arch. The microscopic fabric anisotropy direction can serve as a quantitative indicator for characterizing soil arching zones. Moreover, the effects of particle size distributions (PSD) and soil densities on ground deformation patterns are interpreted based on the stress-strain responses and contact network characteristics of DEM RVEs. These multiscale insights enrich the knowledge of tunneling-induced ground responses and the same approach can be applied to other geotechnical engineering analyses in coarse-grained soils.

The stress state and density of soil have been considered as the key factors to determine the liquefaction resistance. However, the results of seismic liquefaction case histories, laboratory tests and centrifuge model tests show that the fabric characteristics also influence liquefaction resistance, even more significantly than the contributions of stress state and density. In this study, anisotropic specimens with different consolidation histories were prepared using the 3D Discrete Element Method (DEM) to investigate the influence of fabric characteristics on the mechanical behavior of granular materials and the underlying mechanisms. The simulations revealed that under monotonic shear conditions, horizontally anisotropic specimens exhibited strain hardening and dilatancy characteristics, as well as higher peak strength. Under cyclic shear condition, the normalized liquefaction resistance of the specimens showed a strong linear relationship with the degree of anisotropy, independent of confining pressures and density. Microscopic results indicate that the fabric arrangement aligned with the loading direction leads to the evolution of the mechanical coordination number and average contact force in a manner favorable to resisting loads, which is the underlying mechanism influencing macroscopic mechanical properties. Additionally, the evolution patterns of contact normal magnitude and angle in anisotropic granular materials under cyclic loading conditions were also analyzed. The results of this study provided a new perspective on the macroscopic mechanical properties and the evolution of the microstructure of granular soils under anisotropic conditions.

Soil-rock mixtures are composed of a complex heterogeneous medium, and its mechanical properties and mechanism of failure are intermediate between those of soil and rock, which are difficult to determine. To consider the influence of different particle groups on soil-rock mixture's shear strengths, based on the mesomotion properties of the particles of different particle groups when the soil-rock mixture is deformed, it is classified into two-phase composites, matrix and rock mass. In this paper, based on the representative volume element model of soil-rock mixtures and the Eshelby-Mori-Tanaka equivalent contained mean stress principle, a model of shear constitutive of the accumulation considering the mesoscopic characteristics of the rock is established, the influence of different factors on the shear strength of the accumulation is investigated, and the mesoscopic strengthening mechanism of the rock on the shear strength of the accumulation is discussed. The results show that there is a positive correlation between the rock content, the surface roughness of the rock, the stress concentration coefficient, coefficient of average shear displacement, and the accumulation's shear strength. When the accumulation is deformed, it stores or releases additional energy than the pure soil material, so it shows an increase in deformation resistance and shear strength on a macroscopic scale.

This paper presents a method to create rubber clumps without significant volume loss within the framework of the discrete-element method (DEM), enhancing the understanding of particle-scale stress transmission and small strain behavior of sand-rubber mixtures. Extensive calibrations were conducted, including the compressive response of individual pure rubber clumps, the small strain stiffness and the shear behavior of pure rubber specimens. These calibrations aimed to accurately capture the key characteristics of rubber materials, including their deformability. The calibrated model was then used to study the mechanics of sand-rubber mixtures. The simulation data indicated a higher coordination number for rubber clumps, a result of their greater deformability and significant sensitivity to stress levels in comparison with sand grains. The research has further demonstrated that the proportion of the overall stress transferred by the rubber remained below its volumetric content, highlighting its significant sensitivity to stress and density levels, which are characteristics not significant in sand particles. Additionally, the small strain stiffness values of sand-rubber mixtures decrease with increasing rubber contents, reflecting the negligible contributions of rubber materials on small-strain stiffness. This observation supports the validity of refined state variables that exclude rubber materials when characterizing the small-strain behavior of sand-rubber mixtures. While this research is fundamental, the data presented herein can be useful to engineers working on embedding waste materials such as granular rubber in engineered fill.

Particle size significantly influences the macroscopic and microscopic responses of granular materials. The main purpose of previous works was to investigate the macroscopic response, but the influence of particle size on the evolution of microstructures is often ignored. The particle size effect becomes more complex under true triaxial stress conditions. Using the discrete-element method, a series of true triaxial numerical tests were carried out in this study to investigate the particle size effect. The mechanism of the particle size effect was elucidated from the perspective of similarity theory first. Then, the evolution of the stress and fabric for the whole, strong, and weak contact network was investigated. Meanwhile, the role played by strong and weak contacts in the particle size effect was discussed. The numerical results demonstrate that the peak stress ratio of the granular materials is enhanced as the particle size increases, which is caused by strong contacts. The peak stress ratio shows a linear relationship with particle size. The particle size effect on the strength is greater under the triaxial compression condition than under the triaxial extension condition. The proportion of sliding contacts within weak contacts gradually increases as the particle size increases. At nonaxisymmetric stress conditions, stress and fabric display noncoaxial behavior on the pi-plane, and an increase in particle size enhances the noncoaxiality, which mainly originates from the weak contacts.

Freeze-thaw processes can cause slope instability in areas with short-term frozen (STF) soil, resulting in potential safety risks and huge financial losses to a certain extent, as these processes affect the physical and mechanical properties of the soil. However, their adverse effect on the mesoscopic-level mechanical properties of residual soil has not been adequately investigated. To gain an effective understanding in this regard, a laminated-wall approach was adopted to create a flexible boundary for a triaxial-shear test. Simulated stress-strain curves closely matched experimental results, with a maximum relative error of 7.81% at the peak. Moreover, the experimental data collected from real soil subjected to freeze-thaw cycles were used to calibrate the relation between the macroscopic and mesoscopic parameters. The deterioration of the macromechanical and micromechanical parameters of residual soil primarily occurred in the first four freeze-thaw cycles. For eight freeze-thaw cycles, the damage degree of each microparameter remained the same, reaching approximately 0.37. A freeze-thaw damage model of the mesoscopic parameters of residual soil was then constructed through parameter fitting. Using this model, the impact of frost-thaw on slope deformation behaviors was analyzed. A simulation revealed that displacement primarily occurred at the slope toe and the area of influence expanded with an increasing number of freeze-thaw cycles. As freeze-thaw cycles increased, the stress distribution in the X-direction along the top and surface of a slope became more concentrated, impacting mesoscopic parameters. Conversely, the stress in the Z-direction on the slope dispersed across three slopes after four to eight freeze-thaw cycles, with considerable influence during the initial four cycles. The flexible boundary created using the laminated-wall approach and the freeze-thaw damage model of the mesoscopic parameters facilitated an effective understanding of the freeze-thaw effect on residual soil obtained from an STF area.

The existing lunar exploration activities and associated equipment interactions are limited to the surface environment, where the stress state of the lunar regolith is significantly lower than that in laboratory tests conducted on Earth. To address this, this paper proposes a new framework for discrete modeling of large-scale triaxial tests on lunar regolith under low confining pressure. The framework incorporates particle shapes from the Chang'E-5 mission (CE-5) and flexible boundary conditions. Firstly, the shape characteristics of the lunar regolith particles were adopted in the Discrete Element Method (DEM) model to reproduce the mechanical properties of the lunar regolith as accurately as possible. Then, experiments with varying membrane particle stiffness ratios were conducted to explore the effect of the rubber membrane's properties on the mechanical characteristics of lunar regolith under low effective confining pressure. Topological Data Analysis (TDA) tools from persistent homology were utilized to quantify the dynamic response of particles during the onset and development of strain localization. The results indicate that under low effective confining pressure, selecting appropriate rubber membrane types is crucial for accurately determining the mechanical properties of lunar regolith. (c) 2024 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

One of the most crucial tasks in the design, control, and construction of urban deep excavations is ensuring the safety of the existing underground infrastructure. Deformation and settlement created by excavation may damage the adjacent tunnels. In this study, the stability of an existing triple tunnel in relation to the construction of an adjacent deep excavation is evaluated by numerical simulation using both the discrete-element method (DEM) and the finite-element method (FEM). A deep excavation supported by the retaining wall and five levels of strutting system was created adjacent to an existing triple tunnel. The excavation's width and depth were 30 and 16 m, respectively. In both discrete-element (DE) and finite-element (FE) simulations, the horizontal spacing of the triple tunnel wall relative to the retaining wall (SH) is varied between 3 and 35 m, while vertical spacing of the triple tunnel's crown from the ground surface (SV) is changed from 4.8 to 32 m. The results indicated that at a certain value of SV and with increasing the SH, the horizontal displacement of the wall decreases. The variations in the triple tunnel position significantly affected the settlement pattern. In addition, the results showed that the maximum vertical displacement occurred at the middle tunnel crown, while the lowest value of the maximum vertical displacement was found at the crown of the right tunnel. At a certain value of the vertical displacement, the wall horizontal displacement is deduced by increasing in the SH value.

Marine and underwater structures, such as seawalls, piers, breakwaters, and pipelines, are particularly susceptible to seismic events. These events can directly damage the structures or destabilize their supporting soil through phenomena like liquefaction. This review examines advanced numerical modeling approaches, including CFD, FEM, DEM, FVM, and BEM, to assess the impacts of earthquakes on these structures. These methods provide cost-effective and reliable simulations, demonstrating strong alignment with experimental and theoretical data. However, challenges persist in areas such as computational efficiency and algorithmic limitations. Key findings highlight the ability of these models to accurately simulate primary forces during seismic events and secondary effects, such as wave-induced loads. Nonetheless, discrepancies remain, particularly in capturing energy dissipation processes in existing models. Future advancements in computational capabilities and techniques, such as high-resolution DNS for wave-structure interactions and improved near-field seismoacoustic modeling show potential for enhancing simulation accuracy. Furthermore, integrating laboratory and field data into unified frameworks will significantly improve the precision and practicality of these models, offering robust tools for predicting earthquake and wave impacts on marine environments.

The soils in situ are subjected to various types of preloading histories. Extensive work has been devoted to understanding the impact of undrained preloading with different strain histories on the reliquefaction resistance of sands. This study primarily examines the effects of drained cyclic preloading histories on the liquefaction resistance of soils using DEM-clump modeling. The effects of preloading stress path and preloading deviatoric stress amplitude on the drained cyclic behavior and subsequent undrained liquefaction response are discussed. Moreover, the evolution of two microscale descriptors, including coordination number Z and fabric anisotropy degree ac, during the total process is analyzed. The results demonstrate that a smaller preloading stress amplitude and an increasing preloading cycle generally increase the liquefaction resistance of sandy soils. In comparison, a larger preloading stress amplitude significantly reduces the liquefaction resistance. We also reveal that drained cyclic preloading histories induce soil samples with different relative densities and fabrics. The relationship between relative density and liquefaction resistance of soils is not unique. Essentially, Z and ac are good indexes for determining the liquefaction resistance of soils with various drained cyclic preloading histories. The primary objective of this study is to elucidate the micromechanical effects of drained cyclic preloading on the liquefaction resistance of sandy soils.