Elastic medium confined in a column versus the Janssen experiment

TL;DR

This study compares stress distributions in an elastic medium confined in a column with the Janssen model and experimental data, highlighting the importance of elastic anisotropy for accurate modeling.

Contribution

It introduces a combined simulation and analytical approach to analyze stress in confined elastic media, emphasizing the role of anisotropy.

Findings

Elastic anisotropy is crucial for matching experimental results.

Simulations in 2D and 3D show consistent stress patterns.

The model aligns well with Janssen's predictions and experiments.

Abstract

We compute the stresses in an elastic medium confined in a vertical column, when the material is at the Coulomb threshold everywhere at the walls. Simulations are performed in 2 dimensions using a spring lattice, and in 3 dimensions, using Finite Element Method. The results are compared to the Janssen model and to experimental results for a granular material. The necessity to consider elastic anisotropy to render qualitatively the experimental findings is discussed.