Microscale Energy Dissipation Mechanisms in Cyclically-Loaded Granular Soils

This paper utilizes the Discrete Element Method to characterize energy dissipation mechanisms in cyclically loaded soils based on micromechanical considerations. Computational simulations of consolidated undrained cyclic triaxial tests were conducted at various relative densities and were subjected to cyclic loading of different frequencies and shear strain amplitudes. The different components of microscale energies were monitored during the course of the simulations and characterized into input and dissipated energies. A comparison is made between the dissipated energy computed from microscopic energy components and macroscopic energy calculated based on the area of the deviator stress-axial strain loops. These energies are then used to obtain the specific damping capacity defined as the ratio of dissipated energy during one cycle to the maximum stored elastic energy during the same cycle. The conducted simulations highlight the importance of calculating actual stored energy in the system as opposed to approximating it to be that calculated as the triangular area under the secant modulus. Finally, a series of simulations that resulted in liquefaction are discussed, and the amount of energy dissipated to liquefaction is examined based on these results. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.