Assessment of the Mechanical Behaviour of Granular Media by DEM-Based True Triaxial Tests

This study presents the numerical simulation of a true triaxial test by means of the discrete element method (DEM). Experimental results performed on Toyoura sand are employed as reference and the calibration methodology is explained. Physical aspects of the real soil, such as the grain size distribution and the relative density, are considered during the generation of the virtual sample. It is shown that the main aspects of the macro-mechanical behaviour of granular soils during compression loading can be fairly represented by the idealised simulations with particles.