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Influence of particle size on the buffering efficiency of soil cushion layer against rockfall impact

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Abstract

Soil cushion layers are commonly paved in front of protection structures to avoid the direct impact of rockfall and debris flow. This study is devoted to investigating the influence of particles size on the buffering efficiency of a soil cushion layer by experimental and numerical tests. A series of experimental tests are performed by releasing a spherical granite rock block from different heights to impact onto a soil cushion layer consisting of uniformly graded particles. The influence of particle grading on the buffering efficiency is then analyzed in a set of parametric studies. The impact force of rock block and the interacting force at the interface between the soil layer and the protection structure are monitored and evaluated. The discrete element method is utilized to explore the cratering process of rock block, together with the force chains and energy evolutions in the soil cushion layer. The results indicate that soil particles size can influence significantly on the impact force, especially for high-velocity impacts. This effect can be explained by the number and the stability of force chains formed in the granular packing. These findings can provide some insights to designing effective soil cushion layers for protection structures.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 52039007), the Youth Science and Technology Innovation Research Team Fund of Sichuan Province (2020JDTD0001), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. XJ2021002702), and the program of Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province (No. 2021YJ0033).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 611756, China

    Weigang Shen

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brunel University London, London, UB8 3PH, UK

    Tao Zhao

  3. State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China

    Feng Dai

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  1. Weigang Shen
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  2. Tao Zhao
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Correspondence to Feng Dai.

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Shen, W., Zhao, T. & Dai, F. Influence of particle size on the buffering efficiency of soil cushion layer against rockfall impact. Nat Hazards 108, 1469–1488 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-04741-6

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