Effect of micro and macro parameters in 3D modeling of grain crushing

Coarse granular materials exhibit important grain breakage in civil engineering structures, making it more complicated to predict the settlement and collapse of structures. A three-dimensional numerical model is presented using the discrete element method (Non-Smooth Contact Dynamics method). Polyhedral grains are generated, divided into tetrahedral subgrains and glued together using a cohesive law. Samples of breakable grains are subjected to oedometric compression where grains interact via contact and friction processes. Multiple geometrical and physical parameters are tested to analyze the response on the macroscopic and microscopic scales. The tendencies found show the ability of the model to represent the real material’s behavior.