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Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Stress Distribution in Wedge-Shaped Granular Heaps

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Abstract

The present work explains the statics of self-weight transmission restricted to a long prismatic heap inclined at an angle of repose and symmetrically formed on a rigid base. The closure of polarized principal axes with the mobilized state of stress along the slope surface is employed by imposing the orientation of principal stresses on the equilibrium equations. Comparisons were made with calculations based on the finite element method using an elastic model. Moreover, experiments on sand heaps deposited on a rectangular rigid base were conducted to validate the theoretical study. The measured pressure profile generally agreed well with theoretical results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Scientific Information and Computing Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, 152-8550, Tokyo, Japan

    Thirapong Pipatpongsa

  2. Department of International Development Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, 152-8550, Tokyo, Japan

    Tadaki Matsushita

  3. Maeda Corporation, 2-8-8 Sarugaku-cho Chiyoda-ku, 101-0064, Tokyo, Japan

    Maho Tanaka

  4. Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd., 20-10, Toranomon 1-chome, Minato-ku, 105-8401, Tokyo, Japan

    Shinichi Kanazawa

  5. Research Center for Urban Safety and Security, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, 657-8501, Hyogo, Japan

    Katsuyuki Kawai

Authors
  1. Thirapong Pipatpongsa
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  2. Tadaki Matsushita
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  3. Maho Tanaka
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  4. Shinichi Kanazawa
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  5. Katsuyuki Kawai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thirapong Pipatpongsa.

Additional information

This work was supported by KAKENHI Grant Numbers 23760441 and 24360193. The authors would like to express their gratitude to Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

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Pipatpongsa, T., Matsushita, T., Tanaka, M. et al. Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Stress Distribution in Wedge-Shaped Granular Heaps. Acta Mech. Solida Sin. 27, 28–40 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0894-9166(14)60014-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0894-9166(14)60014-8

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