Bifurcations in granular media: macro- and micro-mechanics approaches

Various failure modes related to different kinds of bifurcations occur in nonassociated elastoplastic materials such as geomaterials. After presenting experimental evidence, we study this question by means of phenomenological constitutive relations and direct numerical simulations based on the discrete element method. The second-order work criterion related to diffuse failure modes is particularly considered within the framework of continuum and discrete mechanics. The equations of the bifurcation domain boundary and unstable stress direction cones are established. Diffuse failure is simulated numerically by perturbing bifurcation states.