Force Chains in Granular Materials: Role of Size, Packing & Cohesion

This project investigates how particle-scale properties—like size variation, spatial packing, and inter-particle cohesion—influence the emergence of force chains, which are critical for load transmission in granular materials. Through detailed discrete element method (DEM) simulations, we analyzed how packing disorder and cohesive strength impact the structure and continuity of these chains. The study reveals that moderate size disparity promotes robust force chains in ordered packings, while excessive disorder or high cohesion weakens them. These insights are valuable for improving the design and stability of materials in fields such as geomechanics, civil engineering, and powder processing.

Refer paper (Shrivastava et al., 2025) for details .

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