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Numerical simulation of rockfalls colliding with a gravel cushion with varying thicknesses and particle sizes

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Abstract

A gravel cushion is an effective method for preventing rockfall disasters, but the thickness and particle size of cushion influence the impact response between rockfall and cushion. Based on previous indoor experiments, a numerical model of a rockfall impacting a cushion was built, and the accuracy of the model were verified by comparing with the coefficient of restitution obtained from experimental results. Then, the impact response characteristics during collision between rockfall and cushion, including the impact force on the cushion surface, the impact force on the cushion bottom, and the penetration depth, were studied. It was found that decreasing the cushion thickness can only reduce the impact force on the cushion bottom, while decreasing the particle size of the cushion can reduce both the impact forces on the cushion surface and bottom. With an increase in the falling height of rockfall, both of the impact forces on the cushion surface and bottom consistently increase, and the increase rate of the impact force on the cushion surface is higher than that of the impact force on the cushion bottom. The penetration depth is significantly affected by the particle size of cushion. With an increase in the falling height of rockfall, the penetration depth increases, but when the particle size of cushion is relatively large, the influence of the falling height of rockfall on the penetration depth decreases to some extent. These numerical results provide a widely applicable theoretical foundation for gravel cushions against rockfall disasters.

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All the data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. B200202083), the Research and Development Project of Guizhou University of Engineering Science (No. G2018016), Open fund of Engineering Research Center of Development and Management for Low to Ultra-Low Permeability Oil & Gas Reservoirs in West China, Ministry of Education (No. KFJJ-XB-2020-7), and the Key Special Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41941018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China

    Chun Zhu

  2. Engineering Research Center of Development and Management for Low to Ultra-Low Permeability Oil & Gas Reservoirs in West China, Ministry of Education, Xi’an Shiyou University, Xi’an, 710021, China

    Chun Zhu & Qian Yin

  3. State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Chun Zhu, Manchao He, Qian Yin & Xiaohu Zhang

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  1. Chun Zhu
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  2. Manchao He
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  3. Qian Yin
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  4. Xiaohu Zhang
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Correspondence to Manchao He or Xiaohu Zhang.

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Zhu, C., He, M., Yin, Q. et al. Numerical simulation of rockfalls colliding with a gravel cushion with varying thicknesses and particle sizes. Geomech. Geophys. Geo-energ. Geo-resour. 7, 11 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40948-020-00203-8

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