Pressure redistribution due to lateral vibrations in granular columns: insights from a discrete element simulation

Resumo

The pressure distribution in granular columns is greatly affected by the contact of the grains with the lateral walls of its container. For a granular column statically resting inside a container, the total vertical pressure at the base may saturate, (i. e., it is limited by a maximum threshold value) which may be described by Janssen’s model. Herein, we investigate the effect of lateral vibrations on the container’s wall, and its effect on the force transmission through the granular material, which results in greater effective pressure at the base of the column. A discrete element simulation is used to model the deposition of granular material within rigid boundaries under a prescribed top load, and then impose horizontal oscillatory motion. The imposed vibration led to a significant increase of the effective pressure at the base, due to the improved force transmission. The impact of amplitude and frequency of the vibration was also investigated in a parametric analysis.