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Abstract

The mechanical properties of a disordered heterogeneous medium depend, in general, on a complex
interplay between multiple length scales. Connecting local interactions to macroscopic observables,
such as stiffness or fracture, is thus challenging in this type of material. Here, we study the properties of
a cohesive granular material composed of glass beads held together by soft polymer bridges.
We characterise the mechanical response of single bridges under traction and shear, using a setup
based on the deflection of flexible micropipettes. These measurements, along with information from
X-ray microtomograms of the granular packings, then inform large-scale discrete element model (DEM)
simulations. Although simple, these simulations are constrained in every way by empirical measurement
and accurately predict mechanical responses of the aggregates, including details on their compressive
failure, and how the material’s stiffness depends on the stiffness and geometry of its parts.
By demonstrating how to accurately relate microscopic information to macroscopic properties, these
results provide new perspectives for predicting the behaviour of complex disordered materials, such as
porous rock, snow, or foam.