Influence of liquid bridges on the mechanical behaviour of polydisperse granular materials

We investigate a polydisperse granular material in which the particle interactions are governed by a capillary force law. The cohesion force for a grain-pair with unequal diameters is expressed as an explicit function of the inter-particle distance and the Volume of the liquid bridge. This analytical relation is validated by experiments on a reference material. Then, it is completed by a rupture criterion and cast in the form of a force law that accounts for solid contact, capillary force and rupture characteristics of a grain-pair. Finally, in order to evaluate the influence of capillary cohesion on the macroscopic behaviour, radial and axial compression tests on cylindrical assemblies of wet particles are simulated using a 3D distinct element method. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.