In this paper

a general particle dynamics (GPD) was proposed to reveal the mechanism of rock fragmentation by TBM cutters. The GPD method is regarded as a novel meshless numerical method by introducing the particle failure criterion. The numerical models were established for intact rock fragmentation by a single TBM cutter and double TBM cutters using the GPD method

and the whole processes were successfully investigated. It was found that numerical results obtained by the GPD method were in good agreement with experimental results and previous numerical results

which verified the validity of GPD method for rock fragmentation by TBM cutters. Moreover

the GPD method was adopted to establish numerical models by considering the influences of joints and high confining pressure on rock fragmentation by TBM cutters. The results showed that the inclination angle of joints significantly affected the efficiency of TBM cutting

and the effects were quite different with increasing the inclination angle of joints. The high confining pressure greatly influenced the characteristics of crack initiation

propagation and even the depth of rock fragmentation by TBM cutters. Therefore

the GPD method demonstrates great potential to investigate rock fragmentation by TBM cutters.