Dynamic Response of Granular Flows on a Rigid Barrier: Dense versus Dilute Flow
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22, Issue 7
Abstract
Devastating natural hazards induced by the propagation of extremely rapid, flow-like fragmented rocks can be reduced or even avoided by protective structures in the corresponding danger areas. Such barriers are expected to store the mass before it threatens the vulnerable infrastructures. Proper designs are required by calculating the peak impact force of granular flows on the barriers. In this work, a discrete element method (DEM) was validated with a physical experiment. Sixty simulations were carried out using DEM to study the flow regime governing the dynamic response of granular flows against the barrier. Results reveal that the inertial number (I) can demarcate the flow regime into dense and dilute flow. For the dense flows (I < 3), the equation based on the hydrodynamic model is much more efficient. For the dilute flows (I > 3), the Hertz contact method is better at calculating the peak load. The aforementioned findings are expected to be convenient for engineers designing mitigation constructions against flow-like hazards in mountain areas.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
This project was financially supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDA20030301), the National Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 41790432), the “Belt & Road” international cooperation team for the “Light of West” program of CAS (Su Lijun), and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS (Grant No. 2019364).
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22 • Issue 7 • July 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 15, 2021
Accepted: Feb 8, 2022
Published online: Apr 28, 2022
Published in print: Jul 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Sep 28, 2022
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