Modeling Gravity Hazards from Rockfalls to Landslides. From Individual Rockfalls to Large Landslides

__Gravity Hazards: From Individual Rockfalls to Large Landslides__ provides state-of-the-art methods in the field of modeling of rock-flow hazards, with descriptions of applied numerical approaches. These approaches are based on the trajectography, discrete, or continuum strategies. The authors emphasize the discrete element method (DEM), which is first validated by comparison with laboratory experiments, then used to study the sensitivity of various parameters, and finally applied to real and natural cases. The book ends with an introduction to a hybrid continuum method able to bridge the gap between cases dominated by discreteness and those involving a very large number of elements. * Covers conventional methods used to study gravitational phenomena using empirical parameters * Presents a new numerical tool taking account of the physical phenomenon (friction, dissipation, realistic block shapes) and a methodology for parameter calibration and the achievement of numerical simulations * Applies the numerical model to real cases with a critical analysis of its applicability in the field of engineering * Emphasizes the discrete element method (DEM)

Gravity hazards are a major concern to those living in mountainous areas. To protect infrastructure and human life in these areas, engineers require numerical tools for trajectory analysis, for application from fragmental rockfalls to large-scale avalanches or landslides. This book explores state-of-the-art methods to model the propagation (flows and stops) of masses, using the discrete element method (DEM) to study the evolution of kinetics during an event. Taking into account the shape of the blocks and the topology of the terrain provides an explicit and sophisticated consideration of geometries, eliminating the need for stochastic inputs to rockfall simulations. This method is validated experimentally, before the authors apply it to real case studies. The book ends with an introduction to and comparison with the material point method (MPM), a new and promising approach able to bridge the gap between cases dominated by discreteness and those involving a very large number of elements. Engineering consulting firms, researchers and students should find the approaches outlined in this book useful, whether designing prevention and protection systems for gravity hazards, or exploring new ways to model gravity hazards.

• Covers conventional methods used to study gravitational phenomena using empirical parameters
• Presents a new numerical tool taking account of the physical phenomenon (friction, dissipation, realistic block shapes) and a methodology for parameter calibration and the achievement of numerical simulations
• Applies the numerical model to real cases with a critical analysis of its applicability in the field of engineering
• Emphasizes the discrete element method (DEM)

Front Cover -- Modeling Gravity Hazards from Rockfalls to Landslides -- Copyright -- Contents -- Foreword -- Introduction -- Chapter 1. Computational Methods -- 1.1. Trajectory analysis -- 1.2. Discrete element method -- 1.3. Material point method -- Chapter 2. DEM Applied to Laboratory Experiments -- 2.1. Description of the experiments -- 2.2. Definition and assessment of the contact parameters -- 2.3. Simulation versus experiment results -- 2.4. Further clues handled by numerical results -- 2.5. Concluding remarks -- Chapter 3. Parameters that May Affect the Flow -- 3.1. Constituting blocks Content: Front matter,Copyright,Foreword,IntroductionEntitled to full text1 - Computational Methods, Pages 1-36 2 - DEM Applied to Laboratory Experiments, Pages 37-62 3 - Parameters that May Affect the Flow, Pages 63-102 4 - Application to Actual Rockfalls, Pages 103-133 5 - From Discrete to Continuum Modeling, Pages 135-149 Conclusion, Pages 151-152 Bibliography, Pages 153-157 Index, Pages 159-161