This preprint develops the dry configurational micromechanical foundation of a broader energetic framework for granular systems. The work focuses intentionally and exclusively on dry granular assemblies in order to isolate the purely structural mechanisms governing metastability, configurational admissibility, barrier-controlled rearrangements, localization, collective relaxation, and marginal stability. Granular systems are interpreted as evolving through dissipative transitions between mechanically admissible metastable configurations within non-convex energetic landscapes. Instability is described as the progressive loss of structural admissibility associated with increasing configurational accessibility and collective rearrangement dynamics. No pore-fluid interaction, hydraulic coupling, or liquefaction processes are introduced at this stage. The objective is instead to establish the underlying energetic and configurational micromechanical basis upon which later hydro-mechanical and dynamically activated formulations may be developed. The manuscript represents the dry micromechanical component of the broader “Energetic Stability and Structural Admissibility in Granular Systems” framework.
Manfred Wittig (2026) studied this question.