Summary
The mechanical response of soils is notoriously complex. This is partly due to the highly non-linear contact interactions between grains and the disordered but static (non-ergodic) structure of the material. We explored different aspects of these unusual materials, from the ageing and rejuvenation of the contact networks of idealised grain piles, to consolidation of sandy soils thanks to bacterial induced calcification.
Project list
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Granular flows & Reynolds DilatancyThe slow deformation of compact sand leads to a decrease of density - a process called Reynolds dilatancy |