Discrete element method to simulate continuous material by using the cohesive beam model

Continuous mechanics laws cannot be used directly within a DEM formulation. A second difficulty is that the volume between the discrete elements creates an artificial void inside the material. This paper proposes a methodology that tackles these theoretical difficulties and simulates, using a discrete element model, any material defined by a Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio and density, to fit the static and dynamic mechanical behavior of the material. The chosen cohesive beam model is shown to be robust concerning the influence of the discrete element sizes. This method is applied to a material which can be considered as perfectly elastic: fused silica.