  This paper examines the mechanical response of flexible fiber packings
subject to triaxial compression. Short fibers yield in a manner similar to
typical granular materials in which the deviatoric stress remains nearly
constant with increasing strain after reaching a peak value. Interestingly,
long fibers exhibit a hardening behavior, where the stress increases rapidly
with increasing strain at large strains and the packing density continuously
increases. Phase diagrams for classifying the bulk mechanical response as
yielding, hardening, or a transition regime are generated as a function of the
fiber aspect ratio, fiber-fiber friction coefficient, and confining pressure.
Large fiber aspect ratio, large fiber-fiber friction coefficient, and large
confining pressure promote hardening behavior. The hardening packings can
support much larger loads than the yielding packings contributing to the
stability and consolidation of the granular structure, but larger internal
axial forces occur within fibers.
