Procedure to detect the contact of platy cohesive particles in discrete element analysis

•A comprehensive approach to select an accurate shape as a clay particle.•Detailing a new procedure to detect mechanical contacts between discrete elements.•Detailing a new step-by-step algorithm to detect physico-chemical contacts between discrete elements.•Addressing a validation with respect to qualitative assessment by developing a new code.

This paper presents a new method for detecting contact and calculating interparticle forces between platy cohesive clayey particles. The scale of the study and particle shape are described using a comprehensive microstructural approach. The proposed method considers the mechanical contacts and the diffused double layer (DDL) repulsive force. The particles in mechanical contact and in DDL repulsion are detected separately. The proposed contact detection is a sequential process that focuses on the microstructural interactions between clay minerals. Each interparticle force is individually calculated in the local system and transferred to the particle center using a mathematical expression. An algorithm embedded in the discrete element method (DEM) computational programming is devised based on clay micromechanics. A new 2D DEM code is programmed and a verification example is addressed.

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