ABSTRACT
In this chapter the application of the explicit finite-difference technique to discontinuous materials is described. This implementation has become known as the distinct element method, but has not been widely covered in the open literature. For this reason a fairly detailed account of the technique is presented which should allow the interested reader to gain a full appreciation of its capabilities. The response of a joined rock mass to fluid injection is used as an example application. This required the addition of several features to the basic model, including fluid flow along the joints and into the blocks. The results show that it is essential in certain circumstances to explicitly model the discontinuities in a discontinuous material, and demonstrate the flexibility and applicability of the technique. Finally, some overall conclusions are drawn concerning the utility of the explicit finite-difference technique in the broader geomechanics context.
