ABSTRACT
Rockfill materials are composed of rock blocks which sizes range from a few millimeters to one meter. They are widely used in large structures such as embankment dams. However, the large size of the rock blocks raises the question of the representativeness of computations performed with a numerical method based on the continuum hypothesis. The discrete element method is particularly adapted to take into account the discrete nature of such a material. This paper presents a discrete numerical model for rockfill. It mainly focuses on the main feature of rockfill behavior: breakage of the block under mechanical loading.
