Discrete Element Methods - Numerical Modeling of Discontinua

This proceeding contains 72 technical papers presented at the Third International Conference on Discrete Element Methods, held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on September 23-25, 2002. Discrete element methods (DEM) include a suite of numerical techniques developed to model granular materials, rock, and other discontinua at the grain scale. Topics addressed include DEM formulation and implementation approaches; coupled methods; experimental validation and techniques, including three-dimensional particle representations; efficient contact detection algorithms; particle packing schemes; and code design. Coupled methods include approaches to linking solid continuum and fluid models with DEM to simulate multiscale and multiphase phenomena. Applications include fundamental investigations of granular mechanics; micromechanical studies of powder, soil, and rock behavior; and large-scale modeling of geotechnical, material processing, mining, and petroleum engineering problems.