Discrete element simulation of damage mechanisms in stone cultural relics under dynamic impact

Despite their profound cultural and artistic significance, immovable stone cultural relics face severe threats from both environmental factors and human activities. Beyond these gradual damages, sudden events like impact loading pose an even greater risk and often result in catastrophic failure. To address this, a high-fidelity discrete element model of a Buddha statue was established to evaluate its dynamic response under impact conditions. Through six falling heights, this study examined the damage patterns and failure modes under different impact intensities. The results reveal that tensile failure dominates the damage process, with the kinetic energy from the falling ceiling slab first converting into strain energy within the statue and then dissipating rapidly after the formation of through-going fractures. Two critical falling heights were identified, allowing for quickly assessing the risk level. By integrating precise geometric and material data, the proposed method is highly adaptable to diverse heritage preservation tasks.