Calibration of soil compaction behavior using Discrete Element Method (DEM)

Abstract. Soil compaction has potential to reduce crop yield by resisting seed germination and root growth. Modern agricultural farm equipment is getting bigger in size and axle weight that could cause excessive soil compaction. Natures of soil compaction in agricultural fields are not predictable because of non-homogeneous soil condition, and inconsistent wheel trafficking in the field. In this study predicting soil compaction behaviour will be studied for under different three soil moisture using Discrete Element Method (DEM). Discrete Element Method (DEM) is capable to simulate the elastic-plastic soil compaction behavior. Selection of appropriate DEM contact model and calibration of the DEM material properties is essential to simulate bulk soil dynamic behavior under compaction loading. DEM soil model using parallel bond model (PBM) available in PFC^3D was calibrated to match soil penetration resistance from a conical probe penetration on three-layered soil column. DEM model predicted the mean values of soil penetration resistance for middle (soil density of 1400 kg m^-3) and bottom (1550 kg m^-3) within 10% relative error for “dry” and “wet” soil moisture conditions. With the DEM calibration approach utilized in this study, soil penetration resistance for loose top layer were under predicted The DEM soil can be used for simulation of tire-soil interaction under uniaxial loading cases for various soil types, soil conditions, loading..