A new simple design approach will be described that utilizes test results from the Repeated Load Triaxial Apparatus to establish the risk level of permanent deformations in the unbound granular layers (UGL) in pavement constructions under consideration of the seasonal effects. From this data a serviceability limit line (plastic shakedown limit) stress boundary for the unbound granular materials (UGM) was defined for different moisture contents. Below this line the material will have stable behavior. The serviceability limit line was applied in a finite-element (FE)-program FENLAP to predict whether or not stable behavior occurs in the UGM. To calculate the stress in the UGL, a nonlinear elastic model (Dresden Model), which is described in the paper, was implemented into the FE-program. The effects of changing moisture content during Spring-thaw period and asphalt temperature on pavement structural response were investigated. Additionally, permanent deformation calculations for the UGL were performed taking the stress history into consideration. The results clearly demonstrate that, for pavement constructions with thick asphalt layers, there is no risk of rutting in the granular base, even at high number of load repetitions. The study showed that the proposed design approach is a very satisfactory simple method to assess the risk against rutting in the UGL, even without the calculation of the exact permanent deformation of the pavement construction.

Cette thèse concerne la modélisation du comportement mécanique de poudres ductiles au cours de leur mise en forme par le procédé de compression à froid. L’approche utilisée consiste à modéliser la poudre par un échantillon numérique de 50 particules sphériques distribuées aléatoirement. Chaque particule est maillée en éléments finis avec un comportement élasto-plastique et interagit par contact avec ses voisines. Sous l’effet du chargement, les particules se déforment et subissent de grandes transformations.La méthode développée consiste à imposer aux frontières de l'échantillon numérique des conditions aux limites en déplacement ou en force afin de simuler une réponse continue équivalente en termes de contrainte-déformation pour plusieurs chemins de chargement depuis les faibles valeurs de densité relative jusqu'aux fortes valeurs. Outre le fait que la méthode permet d’appliquer par la simulation des chemins de chargement inaccessibles aux techniques expérimentales, elle fournit de nombreuses indications sur la phénoménologie du comportement aux frontières de l'échantillon en relation avec la morphologie des particules déformées plastiquement et l’évolution des surfaces de contact inter-particules.Cette réponse obtenue sera étudiée au moyen des notions de l'élasto-plasticité classique, à savoir la surface de charge et la loi d'écoulement. L'accent est mis sur l’analyse de l’écoulement plastique et l'existence du potentiel plastique. Les résultats montrent que la direction d’écoulement est approximativement unique pour les états de contrainte éloignés du point de chargement. En revanche, la direction d’écoulement cesse d’être unique à proximité de point de chargement, ce qui révèle le caractère anisotrope de l’écrouissage. Ce comportement, propre aux poudres ductiles, est intimement lié à la déformation des grains. La dégradation anisotrope des propriétés mécaniques résultant du mécanisme de dilatance est également étudiée. / This thesis is concerned with the modelling of the mechanical behaviour of ductile powders during cold compaction process. A numerical method was implemented, in which a powder sample was assimilated to an assembly of 50 meshed particles in a cubic box which was submitted to compressive loadings simulated by means of the finite element method. Each particle was meshed and assigned an elastic-plastic constitutive behaviour. Particles interacted through mechanical, frictional contact and underwent large transformation during loading.The method developped in the thesis consisted in imposing boundary conditions as displacements or forces on the bounding walls of the numerical sample. The mechanical response of the sample was averaged to obtain the equivalent response of a continuum in terms of stress and strain. Various loading paths, including loading paths that are technically not attainable by experimental means, were applied up to different values of relative densities, from low (60%) to high values (98%). Much information on the phenomenological behaviour of the numerical sample could be obtained, in relation with the morphology of deformed particles and the evolution of contact surfaces.The results were interpreted based on the concepts of classical elasto-plasticity, i.e., yield surface and flow rule. The main focus of the study was the analysis of incremental plastic flow and the existence of a plastic potential. Results showed that the flow rule postulate, based in the plastic potential, could be considered as valid for stress states relatively far from the loading point. In the vicinity of the loading point, the direction of the plastic strain increment vector ceases to be unique. This behaviour, which is an original feature of ductile powders mechanical behaviour, was attributed to the anisotropic strain-hardening processes at stake, related to the anisotropic formation of contact surfaces between particles. The drop in mechanical properties related to dilatancy was also studied.

Ce travail de thèse est consacré à l'étude des écoulements biphasiques grains-gaz dans un régime de blocage (jamming). Ce régime caractérisé par un écoulement interrompu en temps fini et fréquemment rencontré dans la nature ou les applications industrielles présente un caractère stochastique. Sa compréhension nécessite la mesure de son débit, de ses fluctuations et de la probabilité d'arrêt liée à la géométrie de confinement, à la microstructure granulaire et au gaz interstitiel. Une approche numérique discrète couplant la méthode de la dynamique des contacts non-régulière (Non Smooth Contact Dynamics) pour la dynamique des particules et une méthode mésoscopique de type homogène équivalente pour le gaz est développée. La statistique d'écoulement obtenue est en bon accord avec des résultats expérimentaux de la littérature : le débit vérifie une loi de puissance croissante en fonction de l'ouverture avec un débit moyen affecté par la présence du gaz. Ces résultats statistiques quantitatifs sont appliqués à l'estimation du taux de relocalisation du combustible nucléaire fragmenté et confiné dans son tube-gaine présentant un ballonnement local suite à une situation accidentelle de type Perte de Réfrigérant Primaire. / In this work, we investigate particle-gas two-phase flows in the jamming regime where the flow stops in finite time. In this regime, which occurs quite often in nature and industrial applications, the flow is stochastic and needs therefore to be characterized by the jamming probability as well as the flow rate and its fluctuations that depend on the confining geometry, granular microstructure and gas properties. We developped a numerical approach based on the coupling of the Non Smooth Contact Dynamics for the solid phase and a mesoscopic method for the gas phase. We find that the flow rate as a function of the opening is well fit by a power law in agreement with reported experimental data. The presence of a gas affects only the mean flow rate, the flow statistics being sensibly the same as in the absence of the gas. We apply our quantitative statistical results in order to estimate the relocation rate of fragmented nuclear fuel inside its cladding tube as a result of a local balloon caused by an accident (loss-of-refrigerent accident).

La dégradation géométrique de la voie ferrée sur les Lignes à Grande Vitesse (LGV) est un phénomène qui entraîne des coûts de maintenance importants pour assurer une qualité de circulation et de sécurité. Cette dégradation géométrique est imputable, en partie au tassement de la couche de ballast qui constitue l'une des parties de la voie ferrée.Le tassement du ballast est un phénomène difficile à estimer et à prédire car sa nature granulaire et ses caractéristiques particulières entraînent des variabilités de ses propriétés mécaniques. Ce travail de thèse est consacré à l'étude du comportement mécanique du ballast, pour le développement d'un modèle prédictif du tassement sur voie ferrée à partir de la caractérisation mécanique initiale du matériau (grâce à l'utilisation du pénétromètre léger Panda) et des sollicitations auxquelles la voie est soumise. Grâce à l'étude paramétrique développée sur un banc d'essais à échelle réelle, nous avons constitué et validé un modèle de prédiction qui est basé sur une loi de relaxation logarithmique.La modélisation numérique par éléments discrets en utilisant la méthode de la Dynamique des Contacts permet d'étudier les propriétés mécaniques du matériau ballast à l'échelle des grains. L'analyse des déformations transitoires montre une dépendance claire de la déformation moyenne par rapport à la contrainte appliquée et au rapport d'aspect en raison de l'action du frottement aux frontières. Les fluctuations de ces déformations, sont très importantes et semblent évoluer avec la déformation moyenne. Finalement, la pertinence de la caractérisation du ballast à partir de l'essai Panda a été vérifiée à partir d'une étude paramétrique sur les mécanismes d'enfoncement grâce à l'utilisation de cette approche numérique discrète. / Railway track degradation on high-speed lines is a phenomenon which causes high maintenance costs to ensure quality traffic and safety.This geometric degradation is due in part to the vertical strain (settlement) of the ballast layer, which compose the track.The ballast settlement is a difficult phenomenon to estimate and predict because its granular nature and characteristics of this layer induces variability of its mechanical properties.This work is devoted to the study of the mechanical behavior of ballast, to develop a predictive model of track settlement from the initial mechanical characterization of the material (by means a light penetrometer Panda) and the loading on track. By means several test on a full-scale model of railway track, we established and validated a predictive model based on a logarithmic relaxation law. Numerical modeling by discrete element method using the Dynamic Contacts allows to study the mechanical properties of ballast at grain-scale.Transient deformation analysis shows a clear dependence of the average deformation with respect to the stress and aspect ratio as a result of the frictional feedback at the boundaries. Fluctuations of these deformations are significant and seem to evolve with the average deformation. Finally, the relevance of the ballast characterization using the Panda test has been verified by means a parametric study on mechanisms during the penetration process by discrete element method.

Les matériaux à particules hautement déformables sont des formes complexes de matière avec de nombreuses applications en chimie, pharmacie, cosmétique et agro-alimentaire. L’effet conjugué du désordre et des grandes déformations des particules conduit à des propriétés mécaniques nouvelles par rapport aux matériaux à particules indéformables. En particulier, la compressibilité et la résistance au cisaillement sont contrôlées par une combinaison de réarrangements et de changement de forme des particules. Dans ce travail de thèse, nous avons développé une approche numérique originale pour la simulation de ces systèmes. Pour permettre aux particules de se déformer indéfiniment, nous avons modélisé chaque particule par un agrégat de particules primaires sans frottement qui interagissent par une force d’attraction de type Lennard-Jones et une contrainte de non-interpénétration. La dissipation d’énergie par collisions inélastiques entre les particules primaires confère un caractère plastique aux déformations des particules. Nous avons utilisé ce modèle pour étudier les propriétés de compaction et de cisaillement de ces systèmes. Nos résultats ont permis de mettre en évidence le caractère non-linéaire de la compressibilité lorsque la compacité progressivement augmente au-delà de celles des assemblages de particules indéformables. Sous cisaillement, un état critique est atteint avec une dilatance contrôlée par la pression de confinement. Dans cet état, nous avons exploré les distributions des formes des particules, les textures et les distributions des forces pour différentes valeurs de la pression. Nous avons également comparé la compressibilité simulée par l’approche développée avec celle obtenue par la Méthode de Points Matériels (MPM) en utilisant des particules élastiques. / Soft-particle materials are complex forms of matter that occur in numerous applications in chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food products. Joint effects of disorder and large particle deformations lead to novel mechanical properties that differ from those of rigid-particle materials. In particular, the compressibility and shear resistance depend on both particle rearrangements and their shape change. In this doctoral work, we developed an original approach for numerical simulation of these systems. To allow the particles to deform without breakage, each particle is modeled as an aggregate of frictionless primary particles interacting via a Lennard-Jones attraction force and impenetrability constraints. Energy dissipation by inelastic collisions between primary particles leads to the plastic nature of particle deformations. This model was used to investigate the compaction and shear behavior of soft-particle systems. We find that the compressibility is strongly nonlinear as the packing fraction increases beyond that of a random close packing of rigid particles. In continuous shearing, a critical state is reached with a dilatancy that depends on the confining pressure. In this state, we investigate the shear resistance, distributions of particle shapes, fabric properties and inter-particle forces as a function of the confining pressure. We also compare our results with those obtained by using the Material Point Method (MPM) with elastic particles.

Ce mémoire présente des travaux de thèse consacrés à la caractérisation et la modélisation des hétérogénéités spatio-temporelles dans les écoulements granulaires cisaillés entre deux parois rigides. De nombreuses simulations ont permis de révéler le rôle crucial des dimensions de l’écoulement et l’influence des interactions des grains avec les parois (avec leur rugosité) sur le comportement global. Pour des systèmes allant jusqu'à une épaisseur de cent diamètres, des profils de vitesse non homogènes ont été mis en évidence, alors que la contrainte cisaillante est constante dans le volume, mettant en défaut le modèle viscoplastique au sein de l’écoulement. Pour réconcilier ces deux observations, nous avons enrichi le modèle viscoplastique en reliant la viscosité à une variable interne qui porte la perturbation due à la présence des parois. Cette nouvelle formulation de la viscosité permet de rétablir la validité d'une loi de comportement locale prenant en compte simultanément l’épaisseur de l’écoulement, la rugosité des parois et le nombre inertiel.Cette dépendance de la viscosité à une variable interne liée à la connectivité des grains ou à leur agitation à compacité fixée, suggère que, d’une manière générale,les écoulements granulaires doivent être décrits en termes d’au moins trois paramètres en fonction du nombre inertiel : le coefficient de frottement, la compacité et la connectivité. / This PhD work is devoted to the description and modeling of spatiotemporal inhomogeneities in granular flows sheared between two rigid walls. Our extensive simulations reveal the crucial role played by flow dimensions and the interactions of the grains with the walls and their roughness. For granular systems with increasingly larger thickness, non uniform strain profiles are evidenced while the shear stress remains uniform. This observation contradicts the common viscoelastic approach based on inertial number in the bulk of the flow. In order to reconcile these observations, we propose a viscoplastic model by a introducing an internal variable carrying the wall-induced perturbations of the flow. This re-formulation of granular viscosity reaffirms the local rheology by accounting for flow thickness, wall routines and inertialeffects. The well-defined dependence of the viscosity on an internal variable pertaining to grain connectivity or kinematic randomness at constant packing fraction, suggests that granular flows should be described by at least three parameters as a function of the inertial number:friction coefficient, packing fraction and connectivity.

Cette étude porte sur l'influence de la forme des particules sur le comportementmécanique des matériaux granulaires, et les mécanismes de transfert de charge quis'y développent, notamment dans les cas des conduits enterrés. La géométrie desparticules (polygones de forme convexe ou assemblage de particules de forme concaveconstitués de plusieurs disques superposés et indissociables) a été caractérisée par uncoefficient de forme α. Cette étude est basée sur une approche numérique par élémentsdiscrets. Des simulations numériques de l'essai de compression biaxiale montrent queles caractéristiques macroscopiques ou géométriques de l'échantillon granulaire, telque l'angle de frottement macroscopique, la compacité, ou la nature des bandes decisaillement, dépendent fortement du coefficient de forme α et de la convexité ou nonconvexité des grains.Les mécanismes de transfert de charge au dessus d'un conduit souple ont été étudiésexpérimentalement (rouleaux bidimensionnels en condition de déformation plane) etnumériquement (MED). Les expérimentations réalisées montrent que la présence duconduit à peu d'in_uence sur le comportement macroscopique de l'assemblée granulairelors d'une sollicitation biaxiale. Les résultats du modèle numèrique convergentavec les rèsultats expérimentaux et mettent en évidence la présence des mécanismes detransfert de charge au dessus du conduit dont les intensités dépendent du coefficientde forme α. / This study was devoted to the in_uence of grain shape on the mechanical behaviourof granular materials and its e_ect on load transfer over underground pipes. Shapeof convex polygons and concave clumps of discs was generalised with a geometricalparameter α. In the study a Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) approach was used.Biaxial compression of granular assemblies revealed that mechanical and geometricalproperties like porosity, macroscopic friction or shear localisation depends both on αand on grain (non-)convexity.The intergranular load transfer over a _exible pipe was studied both experimentally(2D rods in a plain strain apparatus) and numerically (DEM). The experimentsshowed that the pipe has no signi_cant impact on the macroscopic behaviour of theassembly. The numerical model complied with the experiments and revealed that thearching e_ect in a sheared granular medium exists above the pipe and is magni_edwith the increase of α of the grains.

Orientadores: Wanilson Luiz Silva / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T18:33:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Berno_Ludimila_M.pdf: 1326386 bytes, checksum: bdc4fd9ab44fe6c8795d63ccb8fb7e12 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: O sistema estuarino de Santos-Cubatão (SP) está localizado em uma das áreas mais industrializadas da América Latina. Os estuários são ambientes de grande complexidade, onde ocorrem interrelações entre componentes geológicos, físicos, biológicos e químicos. O histórico de contaminação desse ambiente estuarino, decorrente de diferentes atividades antrópicas, pode resultar em altos níveis de contaminação, e os sedimentos podem representar uma fonte latente de elementos-traço para o ambiente aquático. Com o objetivo de investigar a variabilidade geoquímica sazonal de elementos-traço, os sedimentos de superfície dos principais rios deste sistema estuarino (Casqueiro, Cubatão, Cascalho, Morrão e Capivari) foram amostrados no inverno e no verão. Concentrações químicas multi-elementares em diferentes granulometrias (<63 mm, <177 mm e total), obtidas por ICP-MS, e os níveis de matéria orgânica foram relacionados. As texturas dos sedimentos estudados apresentaram característica silto-argilosa (64 a 87%). Os maiores níveis de matéria orgânica foram encontrados nos sedimentos do rio Morrão (10,92 a 12,05%), porém não foi observada relação com a granulometria. Em geral, os metais e metalóides foram mais concentrados na textura silto-argilosa, mas isso não foi sistemático para todo o ambiente. Considerando fatores de enriquecimento, anomalias geoquímicas foram encontradas para os elementos Be, Bi, Ca, Co, Cu, Cd, Cr, Fe, Hf, Hg, Mn, Ni, Nb, P, Pb, Sb, Sr, Ta, Th, U, Y, Zn e Zr especialmente no rio Morrão. Com exceção do rio Capivari, o Hg e o P foram os únicos elementos que se apresentaram anômalos nos demais rios investigados. Elementos como Al, As, Cs, K, Li, Mg, Na, Rb, S, Ti e V apresentaram comportamento geogênico ao longo de todo o ambiente deste estudo. A sazonalidade geoquímica foi notificada claramente nos sedimentos do rio Morrão e parece não ocorrer para a maioria dos elementos tratados nos demais rios investigados. Em geral, foi observado um maior enriquecimento dos elementos contaminantes durante o verão, provocando uma diminuição relativa dos elementos geogênicos nesta estação. O contrário ocorreu durante o inverno. Este trabalho mostrou que o incremento nos níveis de contaminação favorece a flutuação sazonal das concentrações de elementos nos sedimentos. Possivelmente, a sazonalidade associada aos elementos contaminantes pode estar ligada ao fato de estes elementos ocuparem posições mais instáveis em fases minerais e não-minerais do ambiente sedimentar. Isso possibilita uma maior mobilização da carga de elementos contaminantes em função das variações das condições físicas e/ou químicas do meio (pH, Eh, salinidade), se comparada aos elementos geogênicos mais estáveis no ambiente. / Abstract: The Santos-Cubatão estuarine system (SP) is located in one of the most industrial areas in Latin America. Estuaries are environments of great complexity where there is an interrelation among geological, physical, biological, and chemical compounds. The contamination history at this environment is a result of different anthropic activities which can be high, and the sediments can represent a significant source of trace elements to aquatic environment. By investigating the seasonal geochemical range of trace elements, the surface sediments of the main rivers from this estuarine system (Casqueiro, Cubatão, Cascalho, Morrão, and Capivari) were sampled in the winter and summer. Multi-elemental chemical concentrations in different grain-size (<63 mm, <177 mm and total), gotten by ICP-MS, and the organic matter level were related. The texture of the studied sediments presented silt-clay characteristics (64 to 87%). The highest levels of organic matter were found in the sediments of Morrão River (10.92 to 12.05%), however, no direct relation with the grain-size. In general, the metals and metalloids were more concentrated in the siltclay texture, but it was not systematic to the entire estuary. Regarding enrichment factors, geochemical anomalies were found to the following elements Be, Bi, Ca, Co, Cu, Cd, Cr, Fe, Hf, Hg, Mn, Ni, Nb, P, Pb, Sb, Sr, Ta, Th, U, Y, Zn, and Zr, mainly in Morrão River. The only elements that were presented anomalous in every river studied, except in Capivari River, were Hg and P. Elements as Al, As, Cs, K, Li, Mg, Na, Rb, S, Ti, and V presented geogenic behavior all along the environment of this study. The geochemical seasonality was clearly seen in the sediments of Morrão River, but not conclusive to most elements in the other rivers. In general, it was observed a higher enrichment of contaminant elements during the summer, causing a relatively decrease of geogenic elements in that season. However, the opposite happened during the winter. This work shows that the increment in the contamination level contributes to the seasonal fluctuation of the element concentrations in the sediments (e.g. Morrão River). The seasonality associated to the contaminant elements can be regarded to the fact that these elements occupy more unstable positions in mineral and non-mineral phases of the sedimentary environment, leading to a great mobilization of contaminant elements load caused by the physical and/or chemical range of conditions of the environment (mainly, pH, Eh and salinity), when compared to the more stable geogenic elements in the environment. / Mestrado / Geologia e Recursos Naturais / Mestre em Geociências

Granular soils with different sizes and shapes are often used in many civil engineering structures. In different contexts, several researchers have emphasized that shape of particles play a pivotal role in influencing several engineering properties such as maximum and minimum packing densities, shear strength, permeability and compressibility. However, the complexities involved in obtaining the geometrical parameters necessary to adequately compute particle shape have hampered the clear understanding of the contribution of particle shape to such properties. Researchers have attempted to characterize the shape of the particles by many conventional and advanced image based methods in the past. However, these methods suffer from many criticisms; conventional methods of shape characterization include ocular inspection of particles based on visual reference charts, which are more prone to user dependent interpretations. The recently developed image based methods deviate from the conventional and most well accepted definitions formulated by researchers in the past due to the difficulties involved in automating them. The aim of this thesis is to address this shortcoming by developing a robust methodology for accurate and precise determination of particle shape in accordance with the most widely accepted formulae in literature, which can replace the existing methods based on manual measurements, approximate visual charts and non-robust imaging techniques. For this purpose, several computational algorithms are written and implemented in MATLAB and operations are performed on particle images. These methods are developed to precisely characterize the particles shape parameters observed at three levels of scales, which are adequate for complete shape characterization. According to Barrett (1980) the particle shape features can be observed independently at three different scales, viz. macro-scale, meso-scale and micro-scale, the shape parameters such as form, roundness and surface texture falls into these three scales respectively. The macro-scale component of form (sphericity) is quantified as per the formula used in the visual chart proposed by Krumbein & Sloss (1951). In light of its continuing popularity and wide usage, the roundness concept proposed by Wadell (1932) is chosen to be the appropriate parameter for meso-scale shape representation. The micro-scale component of surface texture or roughness is measured by the conventional and widely used root mean square definition, by incorporating the use of digital filtering techniques. The distinct concept of angularity as proposed by Lees (1964) is used for effective shape representation of crushed particles. Kinematic behaviour of particles such as sliding, rolling and interlocking are dependent on the geometrical features observed at meso-scale present along their boundaries, which consequently govern the material strength and deformation characteristics. Based on precise identification of such features (concavo-convex regions along particle boundary), a new classification chart is proposed in this thesis to comprehend the kinematics of particles. The effects of critical parameters such as scale, resolution and user defined cutoff values on the quantification of shape parameters are analyzed and eliminated. The proposed methodology is compared with standard visual charts provided by earlier researchers and is demonstrated on real soil particles falling across a wide range of sizes and shapes. Finally, the role of particle shape in governing packing behaviour of aggregates is quantified based on the precise particle shape characterization.

L'objectif de la thèse est d'analyser le comportement mécanique de matériaux granulaires composites bidimensionels en terme de textures granulaires en utilisant deux approches : étude expérimentale par "thermoelastic stress analysis" et étude numérique par dynamique moléculaire. Les systèmes granulaires composites sont préparés à l'aide de cylindres en polyoxyméthylène (POM) et polyéthylène haute densité (PEHD), présentant un rapport de rigidité de 4 entre eux. Différents rapports de diamètres et de nombres de particules sont considérés. Les résultats expérimentaux et numériques sont en bon accord à l'échelle macroscopique. En particulier, le réseau fort (qui est ici caractérisé par des contraintes hydrostatiques supérieures à la valeur moyenne) contient moins de 50% des particules, et présente une distribution décroissance exponentielle quel que soit le type de particules considéré pour l'analyse (particules souples, particules rigides, toutes les particules). De plus, la distribution des contacts entre particules rigides (contacts POM-POM) est anisotrope et tend à s'organiser dans le sens de la direction du chargement extérieur appliqué, tandis que les autres types de contact agissent principalement pour maintenir le système en équilibre. / The main objective of our dissertation is to analyze the mechanical behavior of two-dimensional composite granular materials through the granular textures. Thermoelatic stress analysis experiments and molecular dynamics simulations are used for this purpose. The composite granular systems are prepared from polyoxymethylene (POM) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) cylinders with a stiffness ratio of about 4 between them. Different configurations in terms of ratios of diameter size and ratio of particle numbers are systematically investigated. Experimental and numerical results are good correlated at the macroscopic scale. In particular the strong network, which is here characterized by hydrostatic stresses higher than the mean value, consists of less than 50% of all particles, and exhibits an exponential decay whatever the type of particles considered for the analysis (soft, stiff, or both types). In addition, the contact distributions between stiff particles (POM-POM contacts) is anisotropic with an effort to arrange parallel to the direction of the external applied load, whereas the other types of contacts just act to sustain the granular system in equilibrium.