Résumé
This paper deals with an experimental and numerical investigation of mechanical behaviour and rupture of cohesive granular media. Cohesion is characterised experimentally, from a reference medium made of aluminium cylinders glued between them with an epoxy resin. For each type of loading (tension/compression, shearing and couple), experiments give a force-displacement relation, as well as a failure criterion. This local mechanical behaviour is then introduced in a numerical code based on a discrete element method. Finally, from a comparison between numerical and experimental compression test on macroscopic granular samples, we present a validation of the mechanical approach. The approach presented here enables to analyse the localisation of the deformation as well as the initiation and propagation of fractures in granular media.