TY  - EJOU
AU  - Zhou, Xin-Hui 
AU  - Yang, Chao 
AU  - Cai, Yu-Xiang 
AU  - Zheng, Yanfeng 
AU  - Guo, Jin 
AU  - Luo, Yao-Zhi 
AU  - Shen, Yan-Bin 

TI  - Effect of Cyclic Loading Frequency on Liquefaction Behavior of Granular Materials: Insights from Discrete Element Simulations
T2  - Computer Modeling in Engineering \& Sciences

PY  - 2026
VL  - 148
IS  - 3
SN  - 1526-1506

AB  - In this study, the two-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) was employed to investigate how the frequency of cyclic loading affects the liquefaction behavior of granular materials. A stress-controlled undrained cyclic biaxial loading method was implemented, and a series of numerical simulations were carried out across a wide range of loading frequencies. The simulation results reveal that cyclic loading frequency has negligible influence on the material’s behavior prior to liquefaction. However, it delays the development of excess pore water pressure and axial strain during and after liquefaction, a phenomenon referred to as the “delay effect”. This delay effect further contributes to an increase in the liquefaction resistance and alters the stress-strain curve and stress path after liquefaction. To interpret these macroscopic observations, the evolution of the internal microstructure was quantitatively characterized in terms of fabric anisotropy and the mechanical coordination number. The findings indicate that the delay in macroscopic behavior is closely associated with the slower evolution of the microstructure under higher loading frequencies. The underlying mechanism can be attributed to particle inertia: as the cyclic loading frequency increases, particle inertial forces progressively participate in load bearing and enhance orthogonal confinement within the granular skeleton. This reduces the driving force for contact structure disintegration and slows down the microstructural adjustment. Overall, this study provides insight into the micromechanical mechanisms that govern the effect of cyclic loading frequency on the liquefaction behavior of granular materials.
KW  - Cyclic loading frequency; liquefaction behavior; inertia; granular materials; discrete element method

DO  - 10.32604/cmes.2026.086395