Three-dimensional hybrid finite-discrete element modelling of rock failure process

Combined finite-discrete element method has become one of the most powerful numerical methods for modelling rock failure process in recent decades. However, most of studies focus on two-dimensional combined finite-discrete element modelling of the rock failure process. This paper further develops a hybrid finite-discrete element method proposed early by the authors for three-dimensional modelling of the rock failure processes in Brazilian tests and uniaxial compression test. The further developed three-dimensional hybrid finite-discrete element method is then parallelized using compute unified device architecture – based general purpose graphic processing unit parallel method to conduct a full-scale three-dimensional modelling of rock spalling failure process in the single Hopkinson pressure bar test. It is concluded that the three-dimensional hybrid finite-discrete element method provides a valuable numerical tools for modelling rock fracture and fragmentation and the parallelization makes it possible to be applied in the large-scale rock mass instability engineering application.