Multisize Discrete Solid-Element Method for Continua
Publication: Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 149, Issue 1
Abstract
This paper proposes a multisize discrete solid-element method (MDSEM) for continua based on the discrete solid-element method (DSEM). The arrangement of spherical elements and the setting criteria of springs between spherical elements are established in MDSEM. The spring stiffness is deduced based on the principle of energy conservation, and the relationship between spring stiffness and elastic constants is established. The proposed physical model of MDSEM is able to connect spherical elements of two different radiuses, while the radiuses of spherical elements in DSEM are the same. MDSEM is proven to be an effective method for analyzing the mechanical behavior of continuum structures, as it is able to reduce the number of spherical elements and connections and improve calculation efficiency. Examples are presented to discuss the effect of direction of the force transmission path and the location of the transition region on simulation results. The effect of direction of force transmission path is not significant, but the location of the transition region has an effect. The larger the proportion of the region of the small spherical elements in the MDSEM model, the more accurate the calculation.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This research was financial supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (KYCX17_0124), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 51978151.
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Published In
Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 149 • Issue 1 • January 2023
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 17, 2022
Accepted: Sep 14, 2022
Published online: Nov 4, 2022
Published in print: Jan 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Apr 4, 2023
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