Arch in granular materials as a free surface problem

SUMMARY This paper discusses the formation of stable arches in frictional soils. A series of laboratory tests are performed to explore the formation of arches in granular materials, either cohesionless or with small apparent cohesion. By considering the stable soil arch as a stress‐free surface, the analysis in the framework of continuum mechanics reveals that such an arch can only form in cohesive frictional materials. The shape of the arch …