We are pleased to announce two fully funded PhD positions within the ANR project ExoGeCo. The project aims to unravel the mechanical origins of geometric cohesion, a newly identified form of cohesion emerging in assemblies of non-convex, interlocking grains without any adhesive interactions. These metagranular materials can form self-supported, load-bearing structures purely due to shape-induced entanglement.
To explore this phenomenon, Exo2GeCo combines Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations and 3D experimental investigations on custom-shaped grains to establish a unified framework linking grain geometry, contact networks, and macroscopic strength.

PhD 1 (LMGC – Univ. Montpellier): 3D numerical modeling of geometric cohesion using DEM.
PhD 2 (IMT Mines Alès): Experimental exploration using 3D-printed metagrains, shear/compression devices, and in-situ imaging.
Full description given in attachment

For further information, see the attached [PDF].