Modeling of packing processes for ellipsoidal particles of arbitrary size

Liquefaction is a destructive phenomenon which usually takes place after an earthquake in areas with water-saturated soil or sand. During the liquefaction process, soil loses its strength and can no longer support structures and buildings which often leads to their destruction. To prevent damages associated with liquefaction, it is critical to study this phenomenon and understand its underlying mechanisms. One approach to study liquefaction is through computer simulation using the discrete element method. In this method, individual soil particles and their contact forces are computed to simulate the displacement of the grains during packing. In this project, soil particles are simplified by ellipsoids. Hydro-Quebec has been developing SiGran, a software to simulate liquefaction, and this project will extend its current sphere packing to ellipsoidal packing. The results of this project will be compared with experimental data to evaluate its accuracy and efficiency.

Faculty Supervisor:

Serge Prudhomme

Student:

Elham Kheradmand Nezhad

Partner:

Institut de recherche d’Hydro‐Québec

Discipline:

Mathematics

Sector:

Environmental industry

University:

Program: