• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.477-493
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• 2003

Masonry is not a simple material, the influence of mortar joints as a plane of weakness is a significant feature and this makes the numerical modelling of masonry very difficult especially when dynamic (seismic) analysis is involved. In order to develop a simple numerical model for masonry under earthquake load, an analytical model based on Distinct Element Method (DEM) is being developed. At the first stage, the model is applied to simulate the in-plane shear behaviour of an unreinforced masonry wall with and without opening where the testing results are available for comparison. In DEM, a solid is represented as an assembly of discrete blocks. Joints are modelled as interface between distinct bodies. It is a dynamic process and specially designed to model the behaviour of discontinuities. The numerical solutions obtained from the distinct element analysis are validated by comparing the results with those obtained from existing experiments and finite element modelling.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2000.11b
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• pp.117-123
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• 2000

Using the modified DEM (Discrete Element Method), which we proposed in order to improve the accuracy of the simulation, soil behavior and reaction by lugs of rotating wheel and a soil cutting process by a high speed blade were calculated and compared with experimental data. The DEM is one of computational mechanics, where the object body is supposed as an assembly of small particles called elements and not a continuum as in the case of FEM. We can easily treat some discrete phenomena such as cracking, separating and sliding by the DEM. We had to modify the original mechanical model, which induced too free movement of elements, adding a tension spring, which would display the role of soil adhesion. The results of DEM simulations were successful from both the soil behavior and reaction points of view.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.367-373
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• 2010

When the numerical analysis is carried out, it is necessary to set proper elements as a feature of analysis domains for more accurate simulations. In this study, Distinct Element Method(DEM) is applied, only considering repulsive force and tensile force except for frictional force and resisting force of particle. When the filled particles with initial Quad-tree type is relocated by DEM, a blank space existing among the particles can be minimized because the shape of particle is circular. Finally, it is the effective feature that the centroidal disposion of the particles is similar to an equilateral triangle. Triangular mesh are formed by using the Delaunay triangular technique on these relocated particles, the quality of triangular mesh is more improved by carrying out Laplace interpolations. The compared result of Aspect Ratio before and after the Laplace interpolation is shown that although the quality of triangular mesh made by DEM is good, the later triangular mesh are higher quality than the formers. In this study, although the developed technique takes a longer calculational time than the previous technique to generate triangular mesh, it is considered that the applicable possibility is very high in the generation of finite element mesh about wave analysis and various numerical simulation to need a complex or reappearance of exact topography.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.21 no.B
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• pp.51-58
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• 2001

The Distinct Element Method (DEM) was used to analyze the stability of jointed rock slope, of which dimension are about 200m(length), 60m(height), $55^{\circ}$ dip. The Barton-Bandis joint model was used, as a constitutive model. The parameters such as JRC and spatial distribution characteristics of discontinuities were acquired through field investigation. Three different cases such as $51^{\circ}$, $45^{\circ}$ and $38^{\circ}$ in angle of rock slope were analyzed to decide a stable slope. To keep the jointed rock slope safely, it is proposed to reduce the height of slope from 60m to 48m and to reduce the angle of the from $55^{\circ}$ to $38^{\circ}$ too.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.57-65
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• 2011

Numerical simulations by three-dimensional Particle Flow Code($PFC^{3D}$, Itasca) considering distinct element method (DEM) were carried out for prediction of triaxial compression test with sand material. The effect of scale conditions for numerical model and distinct material on final prediction results was analyzed by numerical models under various scale conditions, and following observations were made from the numerical experiments. It is very useful to model the initial material condition without any porosity conversion from 2-D to 3-D DEM. Numerical experiments have shown that in all cases considered, 3D distinct element modeling could provide good agreement on stress-strain behavior, volume change and strength properties with laboratory testing results. It was important thing to assess reasonable scale ratio of numerical model and distinct elements for saving calculation time and securing calculation efficiency under condition with accuracy and appropriateness as numerical laboratory. As results of DEM simulations under various scale conditions, most of results show that shear strength properties as cohesion and internal friction angle are similar in condition of $D_{mod}/D_{gmax}$ < 10. It shows that 3-D distinct element method could be used as efficient tool to assess strength properties by numerical laboratory technique.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.659-665
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• 2016

The limit equilibrium method (LEM) is commonly used for slope design and stability analysis because it is easy to simulate slope and requires short calculating time. However, LEM cannot adequately simulate ploughing failure in a footwall slope with a joint set dipping parallel with slope, e.g. bedding joint set. This study performed parametric study to analyze the influence factors on ploughing failure using UDEC which is a commercial two-dimensional DEM (Distinct Element Method)-based numerical program. The influence of joint structure and properties on stability of a footwall slope against ploughing failure was investigated, and the factor of safety was estimated using the shear strength reduction method. It was found that the stability of footwall slope against ploughing failure strongly relies on dip angle of conjugate joint, and the critical bedding joint spacing and the critical length of slab triggering ploughing failure are also affected by dip angle of conjugate joint. The results obtained from this study can be used for effective slope design and construction including reinforcement.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.1089-1094
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• 2004

Numerical methods to estimate behaviors of jointed rock mass can be roughly divided into two method : discontinuous model and continuum model. Generally, distinct element method (DEM) is applied in discontinuous model, and finite element method (FEM) or finite difference method (FDM) is utilized in continuum model. To predict a behavior of discontinuous model by DEM, it is essential to understand characteristics of joints developed in rock mass through field tests. However, results of field tests can not provide full information about rock mass because field tests is conducted in limited area. In this paper, discontinuous analysis by UDEC and continuous analysis by FLAC is utilized to estimate a behavior of a tunnel in jointed rock mass. For including discontinuous analysis in continuous analysis, joints in rock mass is considered by reducing rock mass properties obtained by RMR and decreasing shear strength of rock mass. By comparing and revising two analysis results, analysis results similar with practical behavior of a tunnel can be induced and appropriate support system is decided.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 2020

In this study, a procedure was introduced to estimate strength and deformation modulus of the 3-D discrete fracture network(DFN) systems using the distinct element method(DEM). Fracture entities were treated as non-persistent square planes in the DFN systems. Systematically generated fictitious fractures having similar mechanical characteristics of intact rock were combined with non-persistent real fractures to create polyhedral blocks in the analysis domain. Strength and deformation modulus for 10 m cube domain of various deterministic and stochastic 3-D DFN systems were estimated using the DEM to explore the applicability of suggested method and to examine the effect of fracture geometry on strength and deformability of DFN systems. The suggested procedures were found to effective in estimating anisotropic strength and deformability of the 3-D DFN systems.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.3-15
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• 2007

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.421-432
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• 2020

Cutting of rocks is very common encountered in tunneling and mining during underground excavations. A deep understanding of rock-tool interaction can promote industrial applications significantly. In this paper, a distinct element method based approach, PFC^3D, is adopted to simulate the rock cutting under different operation conditions (cutting velocity, depth of cut and rake angle) and with various tool geometries (tip angle, tip wear and tip shape). Simulation results showed that the cutting force and accumulated number of cracks increase with increasing cutting velocity, cut depth, tip angle and pick abrasion. The number of cracks and cutting force decrease with increasing negative rake angle and increase with increasing positive rake angle. The numerical approach can offer a better insight into the rock-tool interaction during the rock cutting process. The proposed numerical method can be used to assess the rock cuttability, to estimate the cutting performance, and to design the cutter head.