Material point method (MPM) hydro-mechanical modelling of flows impacting rigid walls

Abstract

The study on impact mechanisms of flow-like landslides against structures is still an open issue in the scientific literature. Many researchers have so far employed either experiments or numerical methods, but the evaluation of the impact forces on mitigation obstacles remains difficult especially if the solid–fluid interaction within the flow is considered. This study shows how advanced numerical tools, such as material point method, may be used in simulating those complex processes. The simulations are carried out for two well-documented laboratory tests: a dry granular flow impacting a rigid wall under different geometries and testing conditions in a small-scaled flume and a saturated flow with complex propagation pattern in a centrifuge apparatus. The numerical modelling is validated against the observations and then used to explore the response of different flows impacting rigid structures in other conditions than in the experiments. The soil–fluid interaction influences the type of impact mechanism, the kinematics of the flow, and the space–time trend of the impact pressure against the structure.