Mechanical degradation mechanisms are one of the leading causes of charge capacity loss in lithium-ion batteries. This study further develops a discrete element method (DEM) simulation framework, which investigates how the local contact behaviour affect the global mechanical properties of the active layer. The local microstructure consists of active particles held together by a binder domain, making up a granular medium. This study investigates the impact of the layer's global properties from the type of particle contact model. Experiments were also performed to measure size distribution and the material properties of the active material. The time dependency of the active layer, stemming from the viscoelastic binder domain, was studied in relaxation simulations, which were based on experimental measurements.