Application of the ALE FE method to debris flows

Abstract

A computational model illustrating the application of the ALE FE method to simulate three dimensional debris flows is presented. The paper studies the influence of the initial and boundary conditions on the dynamics of the debris flows on simplified terrain geometry. The effects of the loading conditions and soil properties are also illustrated. The paper demonstrates the applicability and versatility of the ALE method for the debris flow problem while satisfying all the principles of continuum mechanics.