Improvement of contact detection in ‘approaching faces’ method for use in three-dimensional discontinuous deformation analysis

Abstract

One of the most efficient procedures of contact detection in three-dimensional distinct element method (3D DEM) is detection of contact patterns between approaching faces of two neighbouring convex blocks, however some modifications should be done on this method to make it usable in 3D discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA). In many occasions two blocks having more than one pair of approaching face come close to each other. Consequently, more than one contact pattern may be detected which results in multicalculation of some contact points and following incorrect calculation of contact forces in 3D DDA. By applying the algorithm of ‘dominant contact detection’ presented in the present paper, only one contact type which includes all contact points is found among all detected contact patterns. The proposed algorithm was programmed using VC++ and verified by an illustrative example.