  We probe the effects of particle shape on the global and local behavior of a
two-dimensional granular pillar, acting as a proxy for a disordered solid,
under uniaxial compression. This geometry allows for direct measurement of
global material response, as well as tracking of all individual particle
trajectories. In general, drawing connections between local structure and local
dynamics can be challenging in amorphous materials due to lower precision of
atomic positions, so this study aims to elucidate such connections. We vary
local interactions by using three different particle shapes: discrete circular
grains (monomers), pairs of grains bonded together (dimers), and groups of
three bonded in a triangle (trimers). We find that dimers substantially
strengthen the pillar and the degree of this effect is determined by
orientational order in the initial condition. In addition, while the three
particle shapes form void regions at distinct rates, we find that anisotropies
in the local amorphous structure remain robust through the definition of a
metric that quantifies packing anisotropy. Finally, we highlight connections
between local deformation rates and local structure.
