On the mechanical behaviour of crushed limestone

The main focus in this work is on modeling of mechanical response of granular materials that display inherent anisotropy. Both the experimental and numerical investigations are described. First, the results of direct shear as well as drained/undrained triaxial tests are reviewed that involve crushed limestone with elongated angular-shaped particles. Later, a mathematical framework is presented for modeling of inelastic deformation that incorporates the multi-laminate approach. The deformation is monitored on a set of randomly oriented planes and the formulation incorporates the thickness of the shear band that is associated with sliding/separation process. A systematic procedure for identification of material functions/ parameters is outlined that is based on the results of direct shear tests and the framework is later applied to simulate the behaviour under triaxial conditions. The results of numerical simulations are compared with the experimental data.