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Discrete models of force chain networks

Joshua E. S. Socolar
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Abstract

A fundamental property of any material is its response to a localized stress applied at a boundary. For granular materials consisting of hard, cohesionless particles, not even the general form of the stress response is known. Directed force chain networks (DFCNs) provide a theoretical framework for addressing this issue, and analysis of simplified DFCN models reveal both rich mathematical structure and surprising properties. We review some basic elements of DFCN models and present a class of homogeneous solutions for cases in which force chains are restricted to lie on a discrete set of directions.

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Joshua E. S. Socolar. 2003-01-23. Discrete models of force chain networks. https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0212162

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