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Two-scale modeling of granular materials: A FEM-FEM approach

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Abstract

In the present paper, a homogenization-based two-scale FEM-FEM model is developed to simulate compactions of visco-plastic granular assemblies. The granular structure consisting of two-dimensional grains is modeled by the microscopic finite element method at the small-scale level, and the homogenized viscous assembly is analyzed by the macroscopic finite element method at large-scale level. The link between scales is made using a computational homogenization method. The two-scale FEM-FEM model is developed in which each particle is treated individually with the appropriate constitutive relations obtained from a representative volume element, kinematic conditions, contact constraints, and elimination of overlap satisfied for every particle. The method could be used in a variety of problems that can be represented using granular media.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Building Engineering Department, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Yun-Zhu Cai & Yu-Ching Wu

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  1. Yun-Zhu Cai
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  2. Yu-Ching Wu
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Correspondence to Yu-Ching Wu.

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Cai, YZ., Wu, YC. Two-scale modeling of granular materials: A FEM-FEM approach. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng. 7, 304–315 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-013-0213-y

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