Abstract:
The project is concerned with exploring the detrimental effects of water on the behavior of granular materials in both natural settings and industrial environments. Natural phenomena, like earthquakes or landslides, are caused by granular rubble’s mechanical instability. During these processes, numerous interactions take place between granular particles, including those involving water. Water significantly influences the behavior of the bulk material, and it is well-documented that earthquakes and landslides are more likely to occur in areas where the bedrock or fault is saturated with water. In industrial contexts, water’s presence can also have negative consequences because it generates attractive forces between particles, thereby significantly hampering bulk materials’ transport properties and boosting industrial processes’ energy consumption. Given these factors, this project aims to understand the mechanisms through which the presence of water changes the mechanical properties of granular and crushed materials, with a view towards both natural and industrial applications.