• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.815-827
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• 2015

The mechanical behavior of soil and soil-rock mixture is investigated via the discrete element method. A non-overlapping combination method of spheres is used to model convex polyhedron rock blocks of soil-rock mixture in the DEM simulations. The meso-mechanical parameters of soil and soil-rock interface in DEM simulations are obtained from the in-situ tests. Based on the Voronoi cell, a method representing volumtric strain of the sample at the particle scale is proposed. The numerical results indicate that the particle rotation, occlusion, dilatation and self-organizing force chains are a remarkable phenomena of the localization band for the soil and soil-rock mixture samples. The localization band in a soil-rock mixture is wider than that in the soil sample. The current research shows that the 3D discrete element method can effectively simulate the mechanical behavior of soil and soil-rock mixture.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.343-358
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• 2008

This article focuses on concrete structures submitted to impact loading and is aimed at predicting local damage in the vicinity of an impact zone as well as the global response of the structure. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) seems particularly well suited in this context for modeling fractures. An identification process of DEM material parameters from macroscopic data (Young's modulus, compressive and tensile strength, fracture energy, etc.) will first be presented for the purpose of enhancing reproducibility and reliability of the simulation results with DE samples of various sizes. The modeling of a large structure by means of DEM may lead to prohibitive computation times. A refined discretization becomes required in the vicinity of the impact, while the structure may be modeled using a coarse FE mesh further from the impact area, where the material behaves elastically. A coupled discrete-finite element approach is thus proposed: the impact zone is modeled by means of DE and elastic FE are used on the rest of the structure. The proposed approach is then applied to a rock impact on a concrete slab in order to validate the coupled method and compare computation times.

• 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.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.71 no.1
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• pp.65-75
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• 2019

In this article, the dynamic fracture instability characteristics, including dynamic crack propagation and crack branching, in PMMA brittle solids under dynamic loading are investigated using the discrete element method (DEM) simulations. The microscopic parameters in DEM are first calibrated using the comparison with the previous experimental results not only in the field of qualitative analysis, but also in the field of quantitative analysis. The calibrating process illustrates that the selected microscopic parameters in DEM are suitable to effectively and accurately simulate dynamic fracture process in PMMA brittle solids subjected to dynamic loads. The typical dynamic fracture behaviors of solids under dynamic loading are then reproduced by DEM. Compared with the previous experimental and numerical results, the present numerical results are in good agreement with the existing ones not only in the field of qualitative analysis, but also in the field of quantitative analysis. Furthermore, effects of dynamic loading magnitude, offset distance of the initial crack and initial crack length on dynamic fracture behaviors are numerically discussed.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.878-883
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• 2005

Sleeper, the ballast, and ballast mat in the high-speed railroad line are modelled using a two-dimensional discrete element method to generate circle and line elements. Stress transfer mechanism from the sleeper to the subgrade via the ballast is analyzed. The behavior of ballast bed of the high-speed railroad line is also accessed with the model.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Resources Recycling Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.168-172
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• 2006

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.136-146
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• 2021

This paper aims to numerically estimate the dynamic ice load on a conical structure. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is employed to model the level ice as the assembly of numerous spherical particles. To mimic the realistic fracture mechanism of ice, the parallel bonding method is introduced. Cases with four different ice drifting velocities are considered in time domain. For validation, the statistics of time-varying ice forces and their frequencies obtained by numerical simulations are extensively compared against the physical model-test results. Ice properties are directly adopted from the targeted experimental test set up. The additional parameters for DEM simulations are systematically determined by a numerical three-point bending test. The findings reveal that the numerical simulation estimates the dynamic ice force in a reasonably acceptable range and its results agree well with experimental data.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.231-245
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• 2024

A 3D discrete element model integrating the rough surface contact concept with the flat-joint model is suggested to examine the mechanical characteristics of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in concrete. The essential components of our DEM procedure include the calculation of the actual contact area in an element contact-pair related to the bonded factor using a Gaussian probability distribution of asperity height, as well as the determination of the contact probability-relative displacement form using the least square method for further computing the force-displacement of ITZs. The present formulations are implemented in MUSEN, an open source development environment for discrete element analysis that is optimized for high performance computation. The model's meso-parameters are calibrated by using uniaxial compression and splitting tensile simulations, as well as laboratory tests of concrete from the literature. The present model's DEM predictions accord well with laboratory experimental tests of pull-out concrete specimens published in the literature.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2021

Accurate and effective powder compaction analyses are performed for brittle materials such as graphite, utilized as a solid lubricant, by using the discrete element method (DEM). The reliability of the DEM analysis is confirmed by comparing the results of graphite powder compaction analyses using the DEM particle bonding contact model and particle non-bonding contact model with those from the powder compaction experiment under the same conditions. To improve the characteristics, the parameters influencing the compaction properties of the metal-graphite mixtures are explored. The compressibility increases as the size distribution of the graphite powder increases, where the shape of the graphite particles is uniform. The improved compaction characteristics of the metal-graphite (bonding model) mixtures are further verified by the stress transmission and compressive force distribution between the top and bottom punches. It is confirmed that the application of graphite (bonding model) powders resulted in improved stress transmission and compressive force distribution of 24% and 85%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.149-154
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• 2017

Numerous studies of the dynamic behavior of powders have been performed by Discrete Element Method (DEM). The behavior of powders can be analyzed using the DEM assuming that the powder is composed of spherical particles. Moreover, the assumption of spherical particle reduces the computing time significantly. However, the biggest problem with this assumption is the real shape of the particles. Some types of particles, such as calcium carbonate and colloidal copper, are needle shaped. Thus, analysis based on spherical particles can produce errors because of the incorrect assumption. In this research, we developed a new model to simulate needle-shaped particles using the DEM. In the model, a series of particles are connected and regarded as a rod. There is no relative motion among the particles. Thus, the behavior of the rod is rigid motion. To validate the developed model, we carried out the drop-and-bounce test with different initial angles. The results showed negligible error of less than 2%.