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Volume 107
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Micromechanical exploration of asymmetric mobilization of arching effect in granular materials by DEM
Linjie Deng a, Beibing Dai a b c *, Fengtao Liu d, Weihai Yuan e, Jun Yang f
a School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
b State Key Laboratory for Tunnel Engineering, Guangzhou, China
c Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, China
d Guangxi Key Laboratory of Geotechnical Mechanics and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China
e Department of Engineering Mechanics, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
f Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, China
10.1016/j.partic.2025.10.005
Volume 107, December 2025, Pages 176-191
Received 15 July 2025, Revised 22 September 2025, Accepted 8 October 2025, Available online 16 October 2025, Version of Record 27 October 2025.
E-mail: daibb@mail.sysu.edu.cn
Highlights

• We probe the macro-micro mechanical responses of granular deposit in trapdoor tests.

• We reveal the asymmetric arching effect from a multi-scale perspective.

• The origin of the asymmetry of arching mobilization lies in the fabric anisotropy.

• We identify the fabric orientation, where the strongest asymmetrical arching occurs.


Abstract

This study investigates the asymmetrical arching phenomenon in inclined granular deposits by performing the DEM simulations of trapdoor tests. The results indicate that the weakest arching effect occurs at deposit inclination angles of 30° ∼ 45°, evidenced by the highest arching ratio on the trapdoor, largest deposit settlement, and lowest fabric anisotropy intensity. The asymmetrical arching effect is manifested by lower arching ratios, greater deposit settlements and larger fabric anisotropy magnitudes on the left part beside the trapdoor compared to the right part. The arching asymmetry depends on the angle Ψ formed between the potential failure plane's orientation and the deposit inclination direction, and this angle (ΨL) for region L is on average lower than that (ΨR) for region R. A larger ΨR leads to a more notable inter-particle locking effect and a higher resistance to deformation for region R, which further causes larger arching ratios and less remarkable deposit settlements. Moreover, the arching asymmetry degree is positively correlated with the discrepancy between ΨL and ΨR. The disparity of mechanical responses between regions L and R aggravates with increasing ΨR – ΨL, and the strongest asymmetrical arching effect occurs around θ = 30°, where ΨR – ΨL takes the maximum value.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Asymmetrical arching effect; Granular materials; Fabric anisotropy; Interlocking effect; Discrete element method
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