Investigating the effects of Fourier-based particle shape on the shear behaviors of rockfill material via DEM

This report investigates the effects of Fourier-based particle shape on the macroscopic and microscopic shear responses of rockfill material via a series of numerical biaxial compression tests. The multi-disk method is employed to model two-dimensional irregular rockfill particles. The macroscopic characteristics, including the shear strength and the dilatancy response, and the microscopic characteristics, including the contact force, the coordination number and the sliding contact, are examined. Then, detailed analyses of the fabric anisotropy of the entire contact network empower us to understand the microscopic mechanisms that lead to the dependency of the shear strength on particle shape. Subsequently, analyses concerning the fabric anisotropy of the strong and weak contact networks are carried out. It is found that the macroscopic stress ratio exhibits a linear pattern with the anisotropic coefficient of contacts in the strong contact network, and that the slope depends on particle shape.