Steady state permeability profiles surrounding penetrating piles in crushable granular media

This paper presents the application of a continuum model based on breakage mechanics in studying pile penetration into crushable granular media. Our model is able to track the evolution of the grain size distribution due to grain crushing near and surrounding the pile. The numerical study is based on an Eulerian Finite Element model, describing idealized steady ground conditions at relatively deep depths during the penetration. The effects of grain crushing on the permeability reduction in the vicinity of the pile are then quantified. In doing that, the paper highlights the advantages of using a micromechanics-based constitutive model that captures grain crushing phenomena for geotechnical applications. © 2011 Taylor & Francis Group, London.