Extensions of edge-to-edge contact model in three-dimensional discontinuous deformation analysis for friction analysis

This paper extends the edge-to-edge (E-E) contact model for three-dimensional discontinuous deformation analysis (3-D DDA) by addressing the difficulties in determining the contact point pairs, contact candidates and mechanical properties of the interface required for friction analysis. Contact candidates and mechanical properties of the interface are determined using new judgment criteria. Contact point pairs are evaluated using path-dependent analysis. Complete formulations for the new E-E contact model are derived from the auxiliary-simplex method. These extensions have been implemented in the 3-D DDA program. Numerical tests demonstrate that the extended 3-D DDA can accurately model the frictional behavior of a block system.