A discrete element framework for modeling the mechanical behaviour of snow—Part I: Mechanical behaviour and numerical model

Kabore, Brice Wendlassida; Peters, Bernhard; Michael, Mark; Nicot, François

doi:10.1007/s10035-020-01083-1

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Kabore et al (2021) regarded the microstructure of snow as multi-crystalline ice grains [94]. They proposed a discrete element model that considered the factors of grain collision, deformation, fracture, and bond growth due to the creep of ice and temperature to improve the damage between snow crystals and the energy dissipation mechanism of grains [94]. The DEM proves particularly invaluable for simulating the dynamic behavior of snow grains and their role in snow failure mechanisms.…”

Section: Microscopic Analysis Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antarctic Snow Failure Mechanics: Analysis, Simulations, and Applications

Xiao,

Li,

Matin Nazar

et al. 2024

Materials

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Snow failure is the process by which the stability of snow or snow-covered slopes is destroyed, resulting in the collapse or release of snow. Heavy snowfall, low temperatures, and volatile weather typically cause consequences in Antarctica, which can occur at different scales, from small, localized collapses to massive avalanches, and result in significant risk to human activities and infrastructures. Understanding snow damage is critical to assessing potential hazards associated with snow-covered terrain and implementing effective risk mitigation strategies. This review discusses the theoretical models and numerical simulation methods commonly used in Antarctic snow failure research. We focus on the various theoretical models proposed in the literature, including the fiber bundle model (FBM), discrete element model (DEM), cellular automata (CA) model, and continuous cavity-expansion penetration (CCEP) model. In addition, we overview some methods to acquire the three-dimensional solid models and the related advantages and disadvantages. Then, we discuss some critical numerical techniques used to simulate the snow failure process, such as the finite element method (FEM) and three-dimensional (3D) material point method (MPM), highlighting their features in capturing the complex behavior of snow failure. Eventually, different case studies and the experimental validation of these models and simulation methods in the context of Antarctic snow failure are presented, as well as the application of snow failure research to facility construction. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of snow properties, essential numerical simulation methods, and related applications to enhance our understanding of Antarctic snow failure, which offer valuable resources for designing and managing potential infrastructure in Antarctica.

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Section: Microscopic Analysis Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antarctic Snow Failure Mechanics: Analysis, Simulations, and Applications

Xiao,

Li,

Matin Nazar

et al. 2024

Materials

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“…Different studies followed this modeling path in the last decades. Johnson and Hopkins (2005); Kabore et al (2021) modeled the snow microstructure as a set of solid discrete elements interacting with each other through an elastic viscous-plastic contact law. By definition, this method describes the dominant mechanism as grain boundary sliding.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Ice Mechanics on Snow Viscoplasticity

Védrine,

Hagenmuller,

Gélébart

et al. 2024

Geophysical Research Letters

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The porous structure of snow becomes denser with time under gravity, primarily due to the creep of its ice matrix with viscoplasticity. Despite investigation of this behavior at the macroscopic scale, the driving microscopic mechanisms are still not well understood. Thanks to high‐performance computing and dedicated solvers, we modeled snow elasto‐viscoplasticity with 3D images of its microstructure and different mechanical models of ice. The comparison of our numerical experiments to oedometric compression tests measured by tomography showed that ice in snow rather behaves as a heterogeneous set of ice crystals than as homogeneous polycrystalline ice. Similarly to dense ice, the basal slip system contributed at most, in the simulations, to the total snow deformation. However, in the model, the deformation accommodation between crystals was permitted by the pore space and did not require any prismatic and pyramidal slips, whereas the latter are pre‐requisite for the simulation of dense ice.

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“…Snow has a complex mechanical behavior, related to its physical state. It is very challenging to explicitly consider the effect of temperature without empirical considerations [ 40 ]. In most applications of DEM related to snow avalanches, the temperature is indirectly accounted for through variations of mechanical properties [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical investigation of the effect of cohesion and ground friction on snow avalanches flow regimes

Ligneau

Sovilla²,

Gaume

2022

PLoS ONE

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With ongoing global warming, snow avalanche dynamics may change as snow cohesion and friction strongly depend on temperature. In the field, a diversity of avalanche flow regimes has been reported including fast, sheared flows and slow plugs. While the significant role of cohesion and friction has been recognized, it is unclear how these mechanical properties affect avalanche flow regimes. Here, we model granular avalanches on a periodic inclined plane, using the distinct element method to better understand and quantify how inter-particle cohesion and ground friction influences avalanche velocity profiles. The cohesion between particles is modeled through bonds that can subsequently break and form, thus representing fragmentation and aggregation potentials, respectively. The implemented model shows a good ability to reproduce the various flow regimes and transitions as observed in nature: for low cohesion, highly sheared and fast flows are obtained while slow plugs form above a critical cohesion value and for lower ground frictions. Simulated velocity profiles are successfully compared to experimental measurements from the real-scale test site of Vallée de la Sionne in Switzerland. Even though the model represents a strong simplification of the reality, it offers a solid basis for further investigation of relevant processes happening in snow avalanches, such as segregation, erosion and entrainment, with strong impacts on avalanche dynamics research, especially in a climate change context.

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A discrete element framework for modeling the mechanical behaviour of snow—Part I: Mechanical behaviour and numerical model

Cited by 11 publications

References 41 publications

Antarctic Snow Failure Mechanics: Analysis, Simulations, and Applications

Antarctic Snow Failure Mechanics: Analysis, Simulations, and Applications

Role of Ice Mechanics on Snow Viscoplasticity

Numerical investigation of the effect of cohesion and ground friction on snow avalanches flow regimes

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