Analysis of the forces in ordered FCC packings with different orientations

Ordered packing of hard spheres, namely {111}- and {100}-oriented FCC, is numerically generated by means of Discrete Element Method (DEM). The probability density distribution P(F) and transmission of interparticle forces in such a packing is analyzed in detail. It is shown that P(F) can be described by a symmetric distribution irrespective of the orientation, consistent with the literature findings. However, different orientations lead to different force transmissions because of the effect of gravity and stability requirement. In the {111}-oriented FCC, forces transmit both horizontally (in-plane) and vertically (inter-plane), while only vertical inter-plane forces are observed in the {100}-oriented FCC. The analysis on the two resulting sandpiles shows that a force peak exists at the position right under the sandpile apex.