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The Combined Finite–Discrete Element Method—Theory, Modeling and Applications

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Simulation and Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2025 | Viewed by 1304

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
Interests: combined finite–discrete element simulations; finite element modeling; high strain rate processes; material modeling; fracture and fragmentation processes; shock wave propagation in solids and fluids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
Interests: combined finite–discrete element method; material point method; material modeling; fracture and fragmentation processes; thermo-hydro-mechanical–chemical coupling; hypervelocity impact simulations

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The combined finite–discrete element method’s field of application and user community have significantly grown in recent years in large part due to the ability of this method to seamlessly describe solid domains’ transition from continuum to discontinuum in the form of explicit (i.e., debonding between finite elements) fracture and fragmentation. This feature is very relevant to several research fields where fracture processes at different temporal and length scales are involved. Depending on the application, material fracture and fragmentation may be either a desirable feature, for example for the purpose of hydraulic fracturing operations, or something that is to be avoided at all costs, for example in key components of mechanical systems. In other cases, fractures are already present in the system and must be accommodated for through novel design. Because of this wide spectrum of motivations, there is a continuous need for better and more accurate numerical solvers that can address these challenging problems.

This Special Issue focuses on gathering the latest advances in the theoretical, numerical, and application-based aspects of the combined finite–discrete element method, including multi-physics (i.e., fluid–solid interaction, thermo-hydro-mechanical–chemical coupling, etc.), parallelization (i.e., MPI-based, GPGPU-based, etc.), visualization, etc. Original contributions from engineers, mechanical materials scientists, computer scientists, physicists, chemists, and mathematicians are encouraged.

Dr. Esteban Rougier
Dr. Zhou Lei
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • combined finite–discrete element method
  • finite element techniques
  • fracture modeling
  • contact modeling
  • fluid–solid interaction
  • material modeling
  • thermo-hydro-mechanical–chemical coupling

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 17458 KiB  
Article
Influence of Connector Design on Displacement and Micromotion in Tooth-Implant Fixed Partial Dentures Using Different Lengths and Diameters: A Three-Dimensional Finite Element Study
by Hisham A. Mously, Ghada H. Naguib, Abou Bakr Hossam Hashem, Ahmed O. Abougazia, Abdulelah M. Binmahfooz and Mohamed T. Hamed
Materials 2024, 17(17), 4416; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17174416 - 7 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1035
Abstract
The literature presents insufficient data evaluating the displacement and micromotion effects resulting from the combined use of tooth-implant connections in fixed partial dentures. Analyzing the biomechanical behavior of tooth-implant fixed partial denture (FPD) prothesis is vital for achieving an optimum design and successful [...] Read more.
The literature presents insufficient data evaluating the displacement and micromotion effects resulting from the combined use of tooth-implant connections in fixed partial dentures. Analyzing the biomechanical behavior of tooth-implant fixed partial denture (FPD) prothesis is vital for achieving an optimum design and successful clinical implementation. The objective of this study was to determine the relative significance of connector design on the displacement and micromotion of tooth-implant-supported fixed dental prostheses under occlusal vertical loading. A unilateral Kennedy class I mandibular model was created using a 3D reconstruction from CT scan data. Eight simulated designs of tooth-implant fixed partial dentures (FPDs) were split into two groups: Group A with rigid connectors and Group B with non-rigid connectors. The models were subjected to a uniform vertical load of 100 N. Displacement, strain, and stress were computed using finite element analysis. The materials were defined as isotropic, homogeneous, and exhibiting linear elastic properties. This study focused on assessing the maximum displacement in various components, including the bridge, mandible, dentin, cementum, periodontal ligament (PDL), and implant. Displacement values were predominantly higher in Group B (non-rigid) compared to Group A (rigid) in all measured components of the tooth-implant FPDs. Accordingly, a statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups at the FPD bridge (p value = 0.021 *), mandible (p value = 0.021 *), dentin (p value = 0.043 *), cementum (p value = 0.043 *), and PDL (p value = 0.043 *). Meanwhile, there was an insignificant increase in displacement values recorded in the distal implant (p value = 0.083). This study highlighted the importance of connector design in the overall stability and performance of the prosthesis. Notably, the 4.7 mm × 10 mm implant in Group B showed a displacement nearly 92 times higher than its rigid counterpart in Group A. Overall, the 5.7 mm × 10 mm combination of implant length and diameter showcased the best performance in both groups. The findings demonstrate that wider implants with a proportional length offer greater resistance to displacement forces. In addition, the use of rigid connection design provides superior biomechanical performance in tooth-implant fixed partial dentures and reduces the risk of micromotion with its associated complications such as ligament overstretching and implant overload, achieving predictable prognosis and enhancing the stability of the protheses. Full article
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