Effects of particle size of mono-disperse granular flows impacting a rigid barrier

Yifei Cui (), Clarence E. Choi (), Luis H. D. Liu () and Charles W. W. Ng ()
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Yifei Cui: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Clarence E. Choi: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Luis H. D. Liu: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Charles W. W. Ng: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2018, vol. 91, issue 3, No 18, 1179-1201

Abstract: Abstract Understanding the interaction between complex geophysical flows and barriers remains a critical challenge for protecting infrastructure in mountainous regions. The scientific challenge lies in understanding how grain stresses in complex geophysical flows become manifested in the dynamic response of a rigid barrier. A series of physical flume tests were conducted to investigate the influence of varying the particle diameter of mono-dispersed flows on the impact kinematics of a model rigid barrier. Particle sizes of 3, 10, 23 and 38 mm were investigated. Physical tests results were then used to calibrate a discrete element model for carrying out numerical back-analyses. Results reveal that aside from considering bulk characteristics of the flow, such as the average velocity and bulk density, the impact load strongly depends on the particle size. The particle size influences the degree of grain inertial stresses which become manifested as sharp impulses in the dynamic response of a rigid barrier. Impact models that only consider a single impulse using the equation of elastic collision warrant caution as a cluster of coarse grains induce numerous impulses that can exceed current design recommendations by several orders of magnitude. Although these impulses are transient, they may induce local strucutral damage. Furthermore, the equation of elastic collision should be adopted when the normalized particle size with the flow depth, δ/h, is larger than 0.9 for Froude numbers less than 3.5.

Keywords: Geophysical flows; Rigid barrier; Impact; Discrete element method; Physical flume modelling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11069-018-3185-3

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