Journal of Natural Disaster Science

SIMULATION MODEL FOR FLOWAGE OF PARTICULATE MATERIAL

Ryosuke KITAMURA
Professor, Dept. of Ocean Civil Engineering, Kagoshima University
Seisaku FUKUHARA
Technical Clerk, Kagoshima Prefecture (formerly Graduate Student, Kagoshima Univ.)
and
George KISANUKI
Graduate Student, Kagoshima University

(Received 1 September, 1995 and in revised form 18 December, 1995)

Abstract

A new slope stability analysis method based on consideration of particle scale is proposed for the analysis of the flowage of particulate material, in which the equilibrium condition of the particulate material is examined on the basis of the inter-particle force at a contact point caused by surface tension. The decrease in inter-particle force is considered as one of the main factors for the flowage of particulate material and corresponds to the slope failure. Several numerical experiments have been done to simulate the occurrence of flowage of particulate material by decreasing the inter-particle force caused by cohesion.

Key words

particulate material, flowage, simulation model, slope failure