Additive decomposition of shear strength in cohesive granular media from grain-scale interactions

We study cemented granular media by introducing cohesive bonding (sliding or rolling friction and tensile strength) between grains in the framework of the contact dynamics method. We find that, for a wide range of bond parameters, the macroscopic angle of friction at the peak state can be split into three distinct terms of collisional, frictional and dilational origins. Remarkably, the macroscopic tensile strength depends only on the bond tensile strength, and the friction angle at the peak state is proportional to the dilatancy angle which varies linearly with sliding friction.