SPH run-out modelling of channelised landslides of the flow type

Rainfall-induced channelised landslides of the flow type may reach high velocities and travel large run-out distances. The proper modelling of the propagation stage is fundamental to risk analysis and management. The correct selection of mass rheology is fundamental to this procedure, and the variation of pore water pressures and bed entrainment along the landslide path must also be properly taken into account. All of these processes can be consistently simulated through a quasi-3D (depth-integrated) coupled SPH model. In this study, such a model is applied to a relevant case history from Southern Italy for which an advanced dataset is available. The numerical results provide a satisfactory back-analysis of the case history and clearly indicate that the bed entrainment rate and the extent of the erodible areas affect the propagation paths, the velocities and the deposition heights. On the basis of the results, general insights into this type of landslide are discussed with reference to different hypotheses for propagation modelling. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.