The estimation of uncertainties in probabilistic structural analysis may improve if the spatial variability concept is roperly introduced. The presented paper addresses various discrete particle placement choices and schemes for discrete
particle models such that the governing realization of random fields for spatially variable material properties is correlated to a particular structural discretization (i.e. radius and placement of particles) in a discrete framework. Although some discrete element models already mimic microstructural effects of concrete very well, when compared to the continuum framework, there are still reasons for introducing higher order spatial variability, such as the statistical size effect that cannot be captured numerically without introducing spatial variability in the material property fields
with an appropriately chosen auto-correlation length. By introducing the newly developed spatial variability package, classical experiments for concrete may be more realistically reproduced and associated statistical features discussed, also in terms of particular particle placement schemes, observed scattering and physical reference
