A framework to couple the Finite and the Discrete element methods is proposed in this study. The framework takes advantage of both approaches to investigate different soilstructure interaction problems. The structural elements in the problems are modeled using finite elements whereas surrounding soil is modeled using discrete elements to reflect the discontinuous nature of the granular material. The coupled framework is then used to model three soil-geogrid interaction problems including geogrid pullout test, strip footing on geogrid-reinforced sand and geogrid reinforced fill over void. The numerical results show the efficiency of the coupled framework to model the interlocking effect between the soil and the geogrid sheet. New insights into the nature of the interaction between the soil and the geogrid at the microscopic scale are also presented
