A GENERALIZED FORMULATION OF THE DISCRETE ELEMENT METHOD

Abstract

A generalized weighted residual method is used to formulate the discrete element method (DEM) for rigid or deformable bodies. It is shown that this approach provides a unified methodology for deriving many of the different discrete element techniques in current use today. This procedure is used to develop a number of different element formulations for use in problems in which the distinct bodies exhibit complex deformation behaviour such as beam or plate flexure, membrane action, and additional reinforcement of a jointed discontinuum. A covergence proof for the two‐dimensional beam element is given for mathematical validation. A number of examples are also presented which illustrate the usefulness of different discrete element types in engineering analyses of discontinuum problems.

Citation

MUSTOE, G.G.W. (1992), "A GENERALIZED FORMULATION OF THE DISCRETE ELEMENT METHOD", Engineering Computations, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 181-190. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb023857