Abstract Summary
• Particle-based methods are explored in modelling laboratory-scale granular bentonite samples of interest to engineered barrier system design. • The discrete element method is applied to study the effect of pellet shape on the deformation of dry pellet packings and pellet-powder mixtures under oedometer compression. • The new XMm method allows discretising heterogeneous pellet-powder mixtures into sets of continuum units where flow upon hydration is simulated at the different pore levels.
