DEM-PFV analysis of solid-fluid transition in granular sediments under the action of waves

Abstract

Solid-fluid transition is a very active area of investigations. It is linked to many applications in geomechanics and near-shore or off-shore engineering. Micromechanical models can give useful insight into the governing mechanisms of this phenomenon, provided they can reflect the role of pore fluids accurately. We present the application of a new hydromechanical model, combining the Discrete Element Method (DEM) to a flow model based on a pore-scale discretization in finite volumes (PFV) for incompressible pore fluids, to simulate the response of near-shore granular sediments subjected to the action of stationary waves. The model reproduces a wide range of physical processes observed in the experiments, including temporary liquefaction events. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.