Abstract
Internal erosion can trigger severe engineering disasters, such as the failure of embankment dams and uneven settlement of buildings and sinkholes. This paper comprehensively reviewed the mechanisms of soil internal erosion studied by numerical simulation, which can facilitate uncovering the internal erosion mechanism by tracing the movement of particles. The initiation and development of internal erosion are jointly influenced by the geometric, mechanical, and hydraulic conditions, which determine the pore channels and force chains in soil. The geometric conditions are fundamental to erosion resistance, whereas the mechanical conditions can significantly change the soil erosion resistance, and the hydraulic conditions determine whether erosion occurs. The erosion process can be divided into particle detachment, transport, and clogging. The first is primarily affected by force chains, whereas the latter two are mostly affected by the pore channels. The stability of the soil is mainly determined by force chains and pore channels, whereas the hydraulic conditions act as external disturbances. The erosion process is accompanied by contact failure, force chain bending, kinetic energy burst of particles, and other processes due to multi-factor coupling.
Highlights
Internal erosion may be induced by the protective layer being stripped by sediment deposits [1] which are piled up by sediment transport [2], causing significant global economic losses
The introduction of the discrete element method (DEM) coupled with hydro-mechanical models allowed for modeling the soil deformation characteristic and particle migration, as well as the evolution of the pore channels and force chains at the particle scale
The soil is susceptible to erosion, and the higher the fines content, the more intense the erosion is. This phenomenon was confirmed by the numerical simulation results of Zou [55], Hu [46], and Cai [53], who found that the erosion ratio gradually increased with an increase in the fines content when the fines content was less than 30%
Summary
Internal erosion may be induced by the protective layer being stripped by sediment deposits [1] which are piled up by sediment transport [2], causing significant global economic losses. Concentrated leak erosion mainly occurs at cracks, whereas contact erosion exists at the interface of two layers of soil with significant differences in particle size. Water 2021, 13, 169 contact erosion exists at the interface of two layers of soil with significant differences in particle size. The most detached particles are fine particles that are deposited solely due to gravity or have a relatively small contact force. On this basis, Hosn [35] distinguished detached particles according to their unbalanced force. According to Hosn [35], a detached particle can be transported through the pore channels and is considered an eroded particle if its diam‐ eter is smaller than Dc35 (i.e., 35% of the constrictions are finer than this size). DNeutamchermouenstsitsudaipesrohcaevses ibneewnhcicahrritehde oequut itloibcrliaurmifystahtee iinstebrrnoaklensouilnedreorsitohne macetciohna‐ onfisflmu,idinflclouwdinangdthiesotrheeticreasl ualntaolyf stehse[2d7e,s4t1r]u,cetxiopneroimf tehnetsfo[4r2ce–4c4h],aiannd[3n2–u3m4]e.ricTahlesriemfourlea,‐ tthioenmso[s3t4e,4a5s,i4ly6]d. eNtaucmhedricpaalrsticmleuslatrieofinnsecapnaratciccluersatthealyt amreodepl othseiteindtesornleallyedrouseiotongmraevcihtya‐ onrishmavuenadreerlafltuividelfyloswmbayll tcroancitnacgttfhoercme.oOvenmtehnist bofasdiest,aHchoesdn p[3a5r]tidcliessti,nvgisuuisahliezdindgetthaecheevdo‐ pluarttiiocnleosfatchceorpdoirnegcthoatnhneeirlsu, annbdalqanucaendtiffoyrinceg. tAhlethfoorucgehchgarainvivtyar-diaetpioons,ituendlipkaerteixclpeesrcimanennotts. tIrnanesamrlyitreefsfeeactricvhe, Hstrue[s4s7, ,t4h8e]y, Lpuroov[4id9e],lCativeridalinsiu[p5p0,o5r1t]f,oarnfdoSrcteer-cphi a[7in] ipnavretsictilgesa.teHdoiwnteevrnera,l tehreosfoiornceu-cshinaginthpeacrotinctlienudoeutascmhmedeinutmcafinnilteeaedletmo esntrtemsserthedodist(rFiEbMut)i,own haincdh claanrgneotvcoalputmuree dthefeordmisactrieotne [b3e6h,3a7v]i,osrigonfifigecaonmtlaytecrhiaalnsg. iTnhgethinetsrooidlusctrtuiocntuoref tahneddmiseccrheatenieclaelmpernopt emrteitehso. d (DEMTh)ecotruapnlsepdowrtipthrohcyedssroo‐fmtheechdaentaiccahlemd opdaretliscalelsloiws teydpfiocarlmlyoddeetleirnmgitnheedsobyil dtheefocromnsattriiocntciohnarsaiczteerdisistitcribanudtiopnar(tCicSlDe )m[3ig8r,3a9ti]o.nA, cacsowrdeilnl gastothHeoesvno[l3u5ti]o, na dofettahcehepdorpeacrhtiacnlencealsnabned tfroarncsepcohrtaeidnsthartotuheghpathrteicpleorsecachlea.nnels and is considered an eroded particle if its diameter is smaTlhleerretfhoarne, Dthc3is a(ir.tei.c,le35f%irstofbrthieeflycoinnsttrroidctuiocenss caorme fimnoenrlythuasnedthnisusmizeer)i.caMl seiamnuwlahtiiloen, pmarettihcoledcslofogrgainngalmyzainygoicnctuerrnbaelcaeruosseiothneapndartthicelne dsyiasmtemetearticeaxlcleyesdusmthmeacroiznesstrtihcetioinntesrinzeal oerroasricohnfomremcahtainoinsmoccfruorms [g7,e4o0m].eHtroicw, meveecrh, acnloicgagli,nagncdahnyrderdauucleicppeerrmspeeacbtiilviteys,.lSeaevdeinragl tios‐ sues that require further study are highlighted to improve the accuracy and applicability of numerical simulations and improve our understanding of soil erosion mechanisms
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
