A coupled MPM-DEM method for modelling soil-rock mixtures

Aiming at modelling the mechanical behaviour of soil-rock mixtures accurately and efficiently, a coupled MPM-DEM formulation combining the material point method (MPM) and the discrete element method (DEM) is proposed. It is solved concurrently via the contact force linking the two individual methods. Specifically, the soil is modelled with...

On worst-case correlation length in probabilistic 3D bearing capacity assessments

Correlation length or scale of fluctuation (SOF) is often used as a primary parameter in defining the spatial correlation characteristics of varying soil properties. However, geotechnical site investigations are rather limited so that proper determination of correlation length is not always possible. The concept of a worst-case correlation...

Development of an adaptive CTM–RPIM method for modeling large deformation problems in geotechnical engineering

In this paper, a meshfree method called adaptive CTM–RPIM is developed to model geotechnical problems with large deformation. The developed adaptive CTM–RPIM is a combination of the Cartesian transformation method (CTM), the radial point interpolation method (RPIM) and the alpha shape method. To reduce the requirement for meshes, the CTM is...

Uncertainty reduction and sampling efficiency in slope designs using 3D conditional random fields

A method of combining 3D Kriging for geotechnical sampling schemes with an existing random field generator is presented and validated. Conditional random fields of soil heterogeneity are then linked with finite elements, within a Monte Carlo framework, to investigate optimum sampling locations and the cost-effective design of a slope. The...