Stress distribution in trimodal samples

The distribution of stress between coarser and finer particles in gap-graded soils is considered a key factor contributing to the risk of internal instability or suffusion, amongst other soil properties. In reality soils can have more complex size distributions than being purely bimodal. In this study, the discrete element method was used to investigate the stress distribution of trimodal gap-graded materials with different grading curves. The quantification of stresses and contacts forces at particle scale data indicates that the stress distribution in trimodal materials are influenced by the percentage of fines, the proportion of the medium fraction, and the initial density. Specifically, when the stress transfer within trimodal material was partitioned into six contacts classes, the results indicate that the stress carried out by each contact type is strongly associated with their percentage fractions and the size ratio between the different particle types