Developing a Virtual Test Environment for Granular Materials Using DEM

Discrete element methods (DEM) are promising numerical methods for analysing the complexities of granular material response as they can consider the particle scale interactions in these materials. In this book a virtual test environment was developed for granular materials using DEM. Two fundamental geotechnical laboratory tests, the direct shear test and the triaxial test, were implemented in this virtual test environment. This test environment was validated by comparing simulation results with physical experiment results. Further DEM simulations were then performed to analyse the sensitivity of the macro-scale specimen response to some selected parameters (e.g. particle friction, size distribution). Using the results of the DEM simulations, comprehensive analyses of the particle scale parameters were performed to explore the relationship between the observed macro-scale specimen response and the particle scale interactions, including the internal stresses, the contact forces, the fabric, and the particle displacements.