Simulation of dynamic behavior of soil ahead of the bulldozing plates with different surface configurations by discrete element method

The changing process of soil behaviors is influenced by structure of soil-touching parts directly. Therefore, research on the variation laws and the influenced factors of dynamic behaviors of soil, subjected by a bulldozing plate with different surfaces, is very important for the optimized design of soil-touching parts. The nonlinear mechanical model of contact between soil particles was established based on the effects of liquid bridges on mechanical microstructure of soil and the basic Distinct Element Method(DEM) theory. The dynamic behaviors of soil ahead of the bulldozing plates with smooth and wavy surfaces were simulated by DEM from macroscopic and mesocopic aspects. Results indicate that the DEM simulations reappear the qualitative and the quantitative results by laboratory test accurately, moreover, the mesocopic analyses by DEM explain the variation laws of dynamic macroscopic behaviors of soil through soil particles motion in soil body, and open up the influencing factors on these behaviors resulted from the surface configurations of the bulldozing plate, namely, the wavy frequency of dry soil ahead the plate with wavy surface becomes larger, but the wavy range of these dry soil becomes smaller. These studies provide new research ideas and methods for analysis in soil-tool interaction.