A 2D energy-conserving contact model for the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM)

Cai，Weibing1; Gao，Ke1,2; Ai，Shugang1; Zhi，Sheng3

2024-02-01

10.1016/j.compgeo.2023.105972

Computers and Geotechnics   影响因子和分区

0266-352X

1873-7633

The combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM) has been widely used to simulate the progressive fracturing of brittle materials from continua to discontinua. However, due to the relatively simple definition of contact potential, the contact interaction algorithm utilized in the original FDEM is element size-dependent. As a result, a non-smooth and fluctuating contact force direction can occur when a contact point moves from one area of an element to another, and the contact interaction algorithm may fail to accurately evaluate the tangential contact force. To circumvent these limitations, we adopt an energy-conserving model developed recently to calculate the contact force in 2D FDEM, in which the magnitude and direction of contact force can be directly determined by geometrical features. A suite of numerical benchmarks is conducted to validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method for contact interaction processing between discrete bodies, and the advantages of the proposed method are also demonstrated. As an application, two typical examples are performed to systematically explore the potential of the proposed approach for evaluating the stability of rock mass and rock slope. The proposed contact model may help enhance the applicability and accuracy of FDEM for rock fracturing simulation.

Arbitrarily shaped bodies Combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM) Contact algorithm Contact force calculation Energy-conserving contact model

SCI ; EI

英语

第一 ; 通讯

COMPUTER SCIENCE

2-s2.0-85178995779

Scopus

1.Department of Earth and Space Sciences,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,Guangdong,518055,China
2.Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Geophysical High-resolution Imaging Technology,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,Guangdong,518055,China
3.Department of Risk Management,China Huarong International Holdings Limited,Hong Kong

Cai，Weibing,Gao，Ke,Ai，Shugang,et al. A 2D energy-conserving contact model for the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM)[J]. Computers and Geotechnics,2024,166.

Cai，Weibing,Gao，Ke,Ai，Shugang,&Zhi，Sheng.(2024).A 2D energy-conserving contact model for the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM).Computers and Geotechnics,166.

Cai，Weibing,et al."A 2D energy-conserving contact model for the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM)".Computers and Geotechnics 166(2024).