Geotechnical systems often examine interactions that occur between continuum bodies and granular soils. The systems and interactions can be accurately simulated by using multiscale coupling approaches. The model for the continuum bodies is often constructed into a mesh. The meshing, however, is time consuming for a huge spatial system and if distorted is subject to adjustments. A mesh-free approach can be used to eliminate these drawbacks. In this study, a mesh-free approach for simulating continuum–granular systems is presented. This approach combines element-free Galerkin (EFG) and discrete element (DE) methods to approximate the interactions. The capabilities of the coupled EFG–DE method are validated through its solving two example problems: the cantilever beam–disc system and Cundall’s Nine Disc Test. The proposed approach appears to be an efficient and promising tool to model multiscale, multibody contacting problems.

中文翻译：

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连续粒系统中多尺度建模的无网格方法

岩土系统经常检查连续体和粒状土壤之间发生的相互作用。通过使用多尺度耦合方法可以准确地模拟系统和相互作用。连续体的模型通常构建成网格。然而，网格划分对于一个巨大的空间系统来说是很耗时的，并且如果失真，则需要进行调整。可以使用无网格方法来消除这些缺点。在这项研究中，提出了一种用于模拟连续颗粒系统的无网格方法。这种方法结合了无元素 Galerkin (EFG) 和离散元素 (DE) 方法来近似相互作用。耦合 EFG-DE 方法的能力通过解决两个示例问题得到验证：悬臂梁盘系统和 Cundall 的九盘测试。