Fracture modeling with the discrete elements method

Simulation of physical processes
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Abstract:

The discrete element method (DEM) is used to reveal the main features of fracture in materials with different degree of heterogeneity. It is shown that this method adequately describes the main properties of materials in the fracture process such as brittle and ductile behavior, two-staged nature of fracture in heterogeneous materials, heterogeneity of the spatial distribution of local internal stresses depending on the degree of material heterogeneity.