Discrete Element Modelling (DEM), employing the replacement method, has been extensively utilized to investigate the micro and macroscopic behavior of soil with particle breakage. Despite numerous breakage criteria proposed in the literature, an agreement on the most appropriate criterion remains unclear. In this study, three-dimensional DEM analyses were conducted using Particle Flow Code (PFC3D) to assess stress distribution and identify potential locations of particle crushing during direct shear tests for coarse sand subjected to different high normal stresses. The investigation focused on employing a breakage criterion featuring Weibull distribution of particle strengths and considers the effect of particle size on average strength to predict the occurrence of fractures. Various breakage criteria, including major principal stress, mean stress, octahedral shear stress within a particle, and stress calculated from the maximum contact force on a particle, were each examined. The findings indicate that potential crushable particles were predominantly situated near diagonal shear band. Notably, results demonstrate that criteria based on octahedral shear stress and maximum contact force prove more effective in accurately reproducing the concentration of crushed particles near the shear band.