The constitutive relation of the quasistatic deformation on two-dimensional packed samples of polygons is calculated using molecular dynamics simulations. The stress values at which the system remains stable are bounded by a failure surface, which shows a power law dependence on the pressure. Below the failure surface, nonlinear elasticity and plastic deformation are obtained, which are evaluated in the framework of the incremental linear theory. The results show that the stiffness tensor can be directly related to the microcontact rearrangements. The plasticity obeys a nonassociated flow rule with a plastic limit surface that does not agree with the failure surface.

• Received 25 March 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.66.021301