This contributed volume provides an up-to-date overview of the mechanics of granular materials, ranging from sparse media to soils. With chapters exploring state-of-the-art theoretical, experimental, and applied trends in the study of granular matter in various states, readers will be motivated to learn about the current challenges and potential avenues of exploration in this active area of research. Including a variety of perspectives, this volume will be a valuable reference for audiences in a number of fields. Specific topics covered include: X-ray tomography techniques for analyzing sand Evaluation of effective stress in unsaturated soils Hyper-plasticity Wave propagation in granular systems Partly saturated porous media Multi-scale approaches to the dynamics of sparse media Views on Microstructures in Granular Materials is an ideal resource for PhD students and researchers in applied mathematics, solid-state physics, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Mechanical behaviors of materials are highly influenced by their architectures and/or microstructures. Hence, progress in material science involves understanding and modeling the link between the microstructure and the material behavior at different scales. This book gathers contributions from eminent researchers in the field of computational and experimental material modeling. It presents advanced experimental techniques to acquire the microstructure features together with dedicated numerical and analytical tools to take into account the randomness of the micro-structure.

This volume provides a timely survey of interactions between the calculus of variations and theoretical and applied mechanics. Chapters have been significantly expanded since preliminary versions appeared in a special issue of the Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications (184(1), 2020) on “Calculus of Variations in Mechanics and Related Fields”. The variety of topics covered offers researchers an overview of problems in mechanics that can be analyzed with variational techniques, making this a valuable reference for researchers in the field. It also presents ideas for possible future areas of research, showing how the mastery of these foundational mathematical techniques can be used for many exciting applications. Specific topics covered include: Topology optimization Identification of material properties Optimal control Plastic flows Gradient polyconvexity Obstacle problems Quasi-monotonicity Variational Views in Mechanics will appeal to researchers in mathematics, solid-states physics, and mechanical, civil, and materials engineering.

Studies in Applied Mechanics, Volume 7: Mechanics of Granular Materials: New Models and Constitutive Relations provides information pertinent to the fundamental aspects of the mechanics of granular materials. This book presents the theoretical and experimental studies of quasi-static deformations of granular materials. Organized into 30 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the results on the description of a macroscopic stress measure and measures of the fabric of granular masses that support external loads through frictional contact. This text then introduces some quantities for the macroscopic description of mechanical and graphical characteristics of granular materials. Other chapters consider particle rolling, which appears to be a major microscopic deformation mechanism when interparticle friction is large. This book discusses as well the stress-induced anisotropy of granular materials that have initially strong anisotropic fabric. The final chapter deals with the interpretation of linear instabilities of voidage disturbances in fluidized beds. This book is a valuable resource for scientists, theoreticians, and experimentalists.

"A Spin-Echo Small Angle Scattering (SESANS) instrument is capable of studying samples containing large inhomogeneities, large in a sense that they extend across the mesoscopic and microscopic domains. Thus, being applicable to samples of polymers, colloids, dairy products, powders, clays, etc. All of this in a simple and more direct way than existing small-angle neutron-scattering instruments. In essence, there is confidence enough to start exploring the real samples - samples that SESANS is made for. The SESANS experiments conducted and presented in this book will bring insight in the relationship between micro- and macroscopics of fine cohesive powders. The aim is to inspire for future research on samples made up of large disordered heterogeneities through discussing many of the correlation functions expected in these systems."--BOOK JACKET.

This book discusses the extension of classical continuum models. To the first class addressed belong various thermodynamic models of multicomponent systems, and to the second class belong primarily microstructures created by phase transformations.

The 45 papers presented in this volume all share the common goal of constructing continuum models based on the micro behaviours of granular materials. Computer simulations continue to provide observations to aid modelling, while new experimental works begin to show promise for increased understanding in this area. Theoretical studies have extended into transitions between the rapid and quasi-static regimes and the fluid and solid mixture flows. Exciting new topics discussed in this volume include: concepts of a measure for randomness in quasi-static granular materials, which is analogous to the granular temperature in a rapid flow; scaling effects in granular media and their implications in both physical and computer simulations; instability; and boundary effects on heterogeneous behavior in simple flow configurations, which are posing new challenges for mathematical modelling. The volume will prove indispensable reading for researchers interested in the current developments in the fundamental aspects of mechanics of granular materials.

The development of high-quality foods with desirable properties for both consumers and the food industry requires a comprehensive understanding of food systems and the control and rational design of food microstructures. Food microstructures reviews best practice and new developments in the determination of food microstructure.After a general introduction, chapters in part one review the principles and applications of various spectroscopy, tomography and microscopy techniques for revealing food microstructure, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods, environmental scanning electron, probe, photonic force, acoustic, light, confocal and infrared microscopies. Part two explores the measurement, analysis and modelling of food microstructures. Chapters focus on rheology, tribology and methods for modelling and simulating the molecular, cellular and granular microstructure of foods, and for developing relationships between microstructure and mechanical and rheological properties of food structures. The book concludes with a useful case study on electron microscopy.Written by leading professionals and academics in the field, Food microstructures is an essential reference work for researchers and professionals in the processed foods and nutraceutical industries concerned with complex structures, the delivery and controlled release of nutrients, and the generation of improved foods. The book will also be of value to academics working in food science and the emerging field of soft matter. - Reviews best practice and essential developments in food microstructure microscopy and modelling - Discusses the principles and applications of various microscopy techniques used to discover food microstructure - Explores the measurement, analysis and modelling of food microstructures

This textbook compiles reports written by about 35 internationally recognized authorities, and covers a range of interests for geotechnical engineers. Topics include: fundamentals for mechanics of granular materials; continuum theory of granular materials; and discrete element approaches.

Wave Processes in Solids with Microstructure is useful for undergraduates, graduate students, researchers and practitioners in the mechanics of solids as well as in physical and technical acoustics.