The role of force networks in granular materials.

One of the most visually striking features of granular materials is their heterogeneous pattern of force transmission, commonly known as force chains. In this paper and its associated talk, we will review several experiments on two-dimensional photoelastic granular materials which highlight methods for making quantitative interparticle forces measurements, theoretical frameworks for interpreting such data, and the specific findings which result from these methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]