Analytical Data Based Time-Dependent Mechanical Responses of an Intergranular Bond Considering Various Bond Sizes

Geo-materials usually exhibit time-dependent mechanical behavior sand deform gradually with time even under an applied constant strain. In this study, the time-dependent stiffness and strength of an intergranular bond in discrete element method (DEM) are proposed based on the modified Dvorkin’s analytical solutions. The proposed stiffness can provide an alternative approach to determine the reasonable micro parameters in DEM according to actual bond size and bond materials. Meanwhile, through introducing the long-term strength of materials into the unified strength theory, the time-dependent bond strength can be formulated by fitting the analytical data. It is believed that our achievements can give valuable reference to the determination of bond stiffness and bond strength at different time points for various bond sizes in DEM.