• Hongyang Cheng, University of Twente
• Klaus Thoeni, The University of Newcastle
• Xue Zhang, The University of Liverpool
• Vanessa Magnanimo, University of Twente

Computational granular mechanics has largely benefited from the recent methodological advancement and applications of the discrete element method (DEM). The number of DEM-related research is growing exponentially, contributing to more realistic representations of particle shape, breakage/agglomeration, hydrodynamic coupling, etc. in granular systems, from dilute to dense states. In developing new modeling frameworks for granular systems, considerable challenges remain due to their multi-scale nature: contact and particle properties at the micro-scale and microstructural evolution (e.g., fabric and heterogeneity) which give rise to complex macroscopic behavior that no unified theories can describe. Coupling techniques come into play when bridging different scales and physics becomes a necessity. In recent years, DEM has been coupled with various continuum methods, e.g., finite element method (FEM), finite volume method (FVM), boundary element method (BEM), and material point method (MPM) in various ways to tackle the separation of scales and physics in geophysical, geotechnical, agricultural and pharmaceutical processes. In the meantime, particle-based continuum approaches, including particle FEM, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), and moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) methods, are being developed to describe the fast, transient motion of granular materials, such as (immersed) granular column collapse, debris flows, and landslides.

Following successful mini-symposia organized by the authors at the DEM8 conference in 2019, this series of talks will cover the latest research developments in DEM, continuum approaches, and their coupling for modeling granular materials. Open-source development and applications of these computational techniques in geotechnical, geophysical, and powder processing are particularly welcome. Research towards quantitative, predictive simulations via efficient material calibration techniques is also encouraged to submit to this MS. The research areas that will be discussed include (but are not limited to):
• DEM and parallel algorithms for high-performance computing.
• Micromechanical analysis of dry/wet granular materials.
• Multi-scale modeling of granular media, including but not limited to hierarchical, concurrent, and hybrid methods.
• Thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling for granular systems, using under, semi, and fully resolved approaches.
• Applications of coupled methods for large-scale industrial problems.
• Inverse analysis and parameter identification for granular materials.
• Modeling of granular flows.
• Modeling of soft-rigid particle mixtures.