Virtual fall cone tests using Discrete Element Method

Victor Machado da Silva, Leandro da Silva Carvalho, José Renato Moreira da Silva de Oliveira, Maria Esther Soares Marques

In the proceedings of: GEO2011: 64th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, 14th Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 5th Pan-American Conference on Teaching and Learning of Geotechnical Engineering

Session: Laboratory Testing

ABSTRACT: The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is an important tool to investigate soil-structure interaction problems involving dynamics and large strains. This technique is usually applied to reproduce the behaviour of discrete granular soils but can also be used to simulate the behaviour of continuous materials such as very soft clays, where the soil behaves as a viscous fluid. In that way, a DEM software called VISED, developed based on principles of equilibrium and interaction between the elements, was used to simulate soil behaviour on fall cone tests. Unlike the Finite Element Method (FEM), in the DEM the elements are discontinuous, allowing large strain simulations with no need for remeshing, which is a complex and time spending technique.

RÉSUMÉ: La méthode des éléments discrets (DEM) est un outil important pour étudier l'interaction sol-structure, les problèmes de la dynamique et de grandes déformations. Cette technique est généralement appliquée à reproduire le comportement des sols granulaires discrètes, mais peut être aussi utilisé pour simuler le comportement des matériaux en continu telles que les argiles très molles, où le sol se comporte plutôt comme un fluide visqueux. De cette façon, un logiciel de DEM que l'on appelle VISED, développé sur la base des principes d'équilibre et l'interaction entre les éléments, a été utilisé pour simuler le comportement du sol sur des essais au cône. Contrairement à la méthode des éléments finis (FEM), dans le DEM les éléments sont discontinus, permettant des simulations des grandes déformations sans avoir besoin changer le grid, qui est une technique complexe et qui dépense beacoup de temps.

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Cite this article:
Victor Machado da Silva; Leandro da Silva Carvalho; José Renato Moreira da Silva de Oliveira; Maria Esther Soares Marques (2011) Virtual fall cone tests using Discrete Element Method in GEO2011. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.

@article{GEO11Paper764,author = Victor Machado da Silva; Leandro da Silva Carvalho; José Renato Moreira da Silva de Oliveira; Maria Esther Soares Marques ,title = Virtual fall cone tests using Discrete Element Method,year = 2011}