How particle shape affects the critical state, triggering of instability and dilatancy of granular materials – results from a DEM study.

This document explores the impact of particle shape on the behavior of granular materials. The authors reference previous studies and present their own experimental results to evaluate the relationship between particle shape and critical state. They find that granular soils with rounded particles have lower and less steep critical state lines compared to soils with angular particles. The authors also discuss the effect of particle shape on instability triggering and highlight inconsistencies in simulation results. The study emphasizes the importance of considering particle shape in determining the mechanical behavior of granular materials. [Extracted from the article]