Grain based modelling of rocks using the combined finite-discrete element method

This paper describes the implementation and advantages of grain based modelling (GBM) in the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM) to study the mechanical behaviour of crystalline rocks. GBM in FDEM honours grain petrological properties and explicitly models grain boundaries. The simulation results demonstrated that GBM in FDEM predicted more realistic microscopic and macroscopic response of rocks than conventional FDEM models. The explicit modelling of crack boundaries captured microscopic failure transition from along grain boundaries to coalescence along the shear band, dominated by intraphase cracks. This novel framework presents a gateway into further understanding the behaviour of crystalline rocks and granular minerals.