Advances in Discrete Element Method Applied to Soil, Rock and Concrete Mechanics

The use of Discrete Element Methods (DEM) to investigate mechanical properties of geomaterials is growing fast and their applications in geotechnics have become almost systematic. Behind the generic name of DEM, different formulations exist and this paper focuses on recent developments in the Molecular Dynamics and Contact Dynamics-based approaches. After reviewing their formulation, a summary of their recent uses as numerical tools to investigate the mechanical behavior of soil, rock and concrete materials is given. Specific issues such as spherical discrete element packings, flow rules, capillarity effects, high-pressure loading response and high strain rate deformation are described in more details. The quantitative capabilities of DEM are also provided by comparing real experimental data to numerical models.