Tests of Uniaxial Compression of Single Grains

Abstract

Tests of the uniaxial compression of single grains were performed in a specially designed press, which allowed the recording of an applied load in regard to the time and observation of occurring phenomena in a polarization assay. Three types of grains were tested: quartz sand, glass granules, and crushed glass. The strength tests showed different mechanisms of grain damage depending on the type of grain. In addition, the formation and spread of interference fringes, forming “chains of force” in samples with a large number of grains, were observed by testing glass grains under the polarization assay. A more detailed understanding of the strength characteristics of single grains will allow the verification of the models most commonly used in DEM.