Modelling fracture and fragmentation using open source FEM/DEM

ABSTRACT Fracture and fragmentation processes are an integral part of many industrial operations such as block caving, blasting, milling, impact, penetration, etc. Numerical capture of fracture is coupled with difficulties. In recent years a novel so called FEM/DEM approach has been developed. It combines discrete elements with finite elements and has been demonstrated to produce accurate fracture patterns for rock and rock-like materials. It is now available as Y2D C based code in open source format free of charge. In this paper FEM/DEM has been summarised and key aspects of Y2D open source code described.