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Combined finite-discrete element method takes the advantages of both the finite element (FE) method and the discrete element (DE) method, but a coupling approach is required for effective combination of the two methods. In this paper, a coupling approach is proposed by using ghost particles. The entire domain is decomposed into a FE region and a DE region which are connected by an interface, and ghost particles are constructed inside the boundary of FEs by interpolation and used to connect the boundary of DEs. This interface connection method effectively couples FEs with DEs. A numerical example is computed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Ghost particle, Coupling approach, Combined finite-discrete element method, Multiscale modelling