Abstract
Dam-break flows may change into debris flows if certain conditions are satisfied, such as abundant loose material and steep slope. These debris flows are typically characterized by high density and can generate strong impact forces. Due to the complexity of the materials that they are made of, it has always been very challenging to numerically simulate these phenomena and accurately reproduce experimentally debris flows’ processes. Therefore, to fill this gap, the formation-movement processes of debris flows induced by dam-break were simulated numerically, modifying the existing smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. By comparing the shape and the velocity of dam break debris flows under different configurations, it was found that when simulating the initiation process, the number of particles in the upstream section is overestimated while the number of particles in the downstream area is underestimated. Furthermore, the formation process of dam-break debris flow was simulated by three models which consider different combinations of the viscous force, the drag force and the virtual mass force. The method taking into account all these three kinds of interface forces produced the most accurate outcome for the numerical simulation of the formation process of dam-break debris flow. Finally, it was found that under different interface force models, the particle velocity distribution did not change significantly. However, the direction of the particle force changed, which is due to the fact that the SPH model considers generalized virtual mass forces, better replicating real case scenarios. The modalities of dam failures have significant impacts on the formation and development of debris flows. Therefore, the results of this study will help authorities to select safe sites for future rehabilitation and relocation projects and can also be used as an important basis for debris flow risk management. Future research will be necessary to understand more complex scenarios to investigate mechanisms of domino dam-failures and their effects on debris flows propagation.
Highlights
Debris flows are among the most recurrent and damaging geological phenomena in mountainous areas across the world and have consistently caused loss of life, agricultural land, infrastructure, Appl
Dam-break debris flows are caused by a large number of solid materials transported by landslides, generated by earthquakes or volcanic lava and these debris flows are typically generated by heavy rainfall and erosion of dam systems [5,6]
Debris flows induced by dam-break are even greater threats to people's life and function of dam systems
Summary
Debris flows are among the most recurrent and damaging geological phenomena in mountainous areas across the world and have consistently caused loss of life, agricultural land, infrastructure, Appl. According to Zhang et al [2], 10927 debris flow disasters have been recorded in 23 provinces and cities between 2005 and 2015, with a direct economic loss of 14.2 billion Chinese Yuan. Debris flows can be divided into three types according to their formation process: frequent occurrence type, dam-break type and landslide type [3,4]. Dam-break debris flows are caused by a large number of solid materials transported by landslides, generated by earthquakes or volcanic lava and these debris flows are typically generated by heavy rainfall and erosion of dam systems [5,6]
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