A variational discrete element method for quasistatic and dynamic elastoplasticity

Summary We propose a new discrete element method supporting general polyhedral meshes. The method can be understood as a lowest‐order discontinuous Galerkin method parametrized by the continuous mechanical parameters (Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio). We consider quasistatic and dynamic elastoplasticity, and in the latter situation, a pseudoenergy conserving time‐integration method is employed. The computational cost of the time‐stepping method is moderate since it is explicit and used with a naturally diagonal mass matrix. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the robustness and versatility of the method for quasistatic and dynamic elastoplastic evolutions.