Incipient failure in sandpile models
arXiv:cond-mat/9812068 · doi:10.1016/S0378-4371(98)00470-1
Abstract
Elastoplastic and constitutive equation theories are two approaches based on very different assumptions for creating a continuum theory for the stress distributions in a static sandpile. Both models produce the same surprising prediction that in a two dimensional granular pile constructed at its angle of repose, the outside wedge will be on the verge of failure. We show how these predictions can be tested experimentally.
5 pages, 1 figure