Stress chain solutions in two-dimensional isostatic granular systems: fabric-dependent paths, leakage, and branching.
The stress field equations for two-dimensional disordered isostatic granular materials are reformulated, giving new results beyond the commonly accepted force chains. Localized loads give rise to exactly determinable cones of influence, bounded by stress chains. Disorder couples same-source chains, attenuates stresses along chains, causes stress leakage from chains into the cone, and gives rise to branching. Chains from spatially separate sources do not interact. The formulation is convenient for computation, and several numerical solutions are presented.
Energy Resources Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Margot
M
Gerritsen
Gunilla
G
Kreiss
Raphael
R
Blumenfeld
D008956:Models, Chemical; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; D013314:Stress, Mechanical