Simulation of Quasi-Static Collapse of Granular Columns Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Method

Granular column collapse has recently been an attractive topic of numerous experimental and numerical studies. Despite the importance of quasi-static collapse of granular construct (e.g., retaining structures), less focus has been dedicated toward simulation of this phenomenon compared to the dynamic granular collapse. This research tries to address this issue by simulating the quasi-static collapse of granular columns using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method (SPH). The SPH rectangular columns are made of boxes with aspect ratios ranging 0.5-11. The slow movement of the side-wall of the box with a constant velocity triggers the quasi-static collapse. To model elastic-plastic soil behavior, the Drucker-Prager constitutive model with non-associated plastic flow rules is implemented into the SPH formulation. The dependency of flow pattern and final deposit profile (i.e., final height and runout distance) on initial aspect ratio, and sensitivity of the deposit profile to the wall velocity and material properties (e.g., friction angle) are investigated. The simulation results are compared with other experimental observations and numerical simulations available in literature.