Deposition morphology of granular column collapses

Abstract

Granular column collapses result in an array of flow phenomena and deposition morphologies, the understanding of which brings insights into studying granular flows in both natural and engineering systems. Guided by experiments, we carried out computational studies with the discrete element method (DEM) to identify fundamental links between the macro-scale behavior and micro-scale properties of granular columns. A dimensionless number combining particle and bulk properties of the column, \(\alpha _{\text {eff}}\), was found from dimensional analysis to determine three collapse regimes (quasi-static, inertial, and liquid-like), revealing universal trends of flow regimes and deposition morphologies under different conditions. This dimensionless number may represent physically the competing inertial and frictional effects that govern the behavior of the granular column collapse, including energy conversion and dissipation. The finding is important for understanding quantitatively the flow of granular materials and their deposits.