New insights into the effect of interparticle friction on the critical state friction angle of granular materials

This letter examines the effect of interparticle friction (μ) on the critical state friction angle (φcs) of granular materials via the discrete element method. A series of drained triaxial tests are conducted on multisphere ellipsoids. The results indicate that φcs first increases with μ and then reaches a plateau when μ ≥ 0.3. Anisotropic analysis provides new insights into the underlying mechanisms of the φcs evolution from two perspectives....