ABSTRACT
There are two primary motivations to use DEM in geomechanics. Firstly, in applied boundary value problems, discrete element methods can more easily simulate large-deformation problems than continuum-mechanics-based analysis tools. DEM simulations can also capture mechanisms such as arching or erosion that are a consequence of the particulate nature of the material. The second use of DEM is as tool in basic research. A discrete element simulation can probe the material response at a much more detailed scale than can be monitored even in highly sophisticated laboratory tests. In conventional experimental soil mechanics hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying the sometimes highly complex response of soil can be proposed. A DEM model allows us to delve into the inner workings of soil and conrm or reject these hypotheses. To paraphrase Weatherley (2009), in a DEM simulation information which is \hidden" in conventional physical experiments is revealed.
