Numerical simulation of a flow-like landslide using the particle finite element method

Summary To solve large deformation geotechnical problems, a novel strain‐smoothed particle finite element method (SPFEM) is proposed that incorporates a simple and effective edge‐based strain smoothing method within the framework of original PFEM. Compared with the original PFEM, the proposed novel SPFEM can solve the volumetric locking problem like previously developed node‐based smoothed PFEM when lower‐order triangular element is used. Compared with the node‐based smoothed PFEM known as “overly soft” or underestimation property, the proposed SPFEM offers super‐convergent and very accurate solutions due to the implementation of edge‐based strain smoothing method. To guarantee the computational stability, the proposed SPFEM uses an explicit time integration scheme and adopts an adaptive updating time step. Performance of the proposed SPFEM for geotechnical problems is first examined by four benchmark numerical examples: (a) bar vibrations, (b) large settlement of strip footing, (c) collapse of aluminium bars column, and (d) failure of a homogeneous soil slope. Finally, the progressive failure of slope of sensitive clay is simulated using the proposed SPFEM to show its outstanding performance in solving large deformation geotechnical problems. All results demonstrate that the novel SPFEM is a powerful and easily extensible numerical method for analysing large deformation problems in geotechnical engineering.

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“…Figure depicts the main procedures of PFEM. The details of original PFEM can be found in previous studies.…”

Section: Explicit Edge‐based Smoothed Pfemmentioning

confidence: 99%

An edge‐based strain smoothing particle finite element method for large deformation problems in geotechnical engineering

Jin

Yuan

Yin

et al. 2020

Num Anal Meth Geomechanics

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“…Although it is not strictly necessary (see [40]), low order finite elements are typically used in PFEM: linear triangles in two-dimensional models and linear tetrahedron in three dimensions. Linear interpolated elements have several advantages due to their simplicity: particles usually define exclusively the mesh nodes and no extra interpolations are needed after remeshing.…”

Section: Fundamentals Of Pfem For Soil Mechanicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Flow-like landslides have been also studied using PFEM, but considering a singlephase material description. In Zhang et al [40] a rigid plastic constitutive response was assumed for the soil. Salazar et al [30] used a non-Newtonian modified Bingham law.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance of mixed formulations for the particle finite element method in soil mechanics problems

et al. 2016

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This paper presents a computational framework for the numerical analysis of fluid-saturated porous media at large strains. The proposal relies, on one hand, on the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM), known for its capability to tackle large deformations and rapid changing boundaries, and, on the other hand, on constitutive descriptions well-established in current geotechnical analyses (Darcy's law; Modified Cam Clay; Houlsby hyper-elasticity). An important feature of this kind of problem is that incompressibility may arise either from undrained conditions or as a consequence of material behavior; incompressibility may lead to volumetric locking of the low-order elements that are typically used in PFEM. In this work, two different three-field mixed formulations for the coupled hydro-mechanical problem are presented, in which either the effective pressure or the Jacobian are considered as nodal variables, in addition to the solid skeleton displacement and water pressure. Additionally, several mixed formulations are described for the simplified single-phase problem due to its formal similitude to the poromechanical case and its relevance in geotechnics, since it may approximate the saturated soil behavior under undrained conditions. In order to use equal order interpolants in displacements and scalar fields, stabilization techniques are used in the mass conservation equation of the biphasic medium and in the rest of scalar equations. Finally, all mixed formulations are assessed in some benchmark problems and their performances are compared. It is found that mixed formulations that have the Jacobian as a nodal variable perform better.

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“…Modaressi and Aubert 40 were first to apply a MM (ie, EFGM) to model coupled flow deformation in saturated porous media. Since then, many MMs have been employed for coupled flow-deformation analysis of multiphase porous media, including the SPH, [52][53][54] EFGM, [55][56][57] PFEM, [58][59][60] RPIM, [61][62][63] MPM, [64][65][66][67] and SPIM, [68][69][70] just to mention a few. SPH uses point-wise integration and hence is free from any background mesh; however, it suffers from spatial instabilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fully coupled elastoplastic hydro‐mechanical analysis of unsaturated porous media using a meshfree method

Ghaffaripour

Esgandani

Khoshghalb

et al. 2019

Num Anal Meth Geomechanics

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Summary This paper presents the first application of an advanced meshfree method, ie, the edge‐based smoothed point interpolation method (ESPIM), in simulation of the coupled hydro‐mechanical behaviour of unsaturated porous media. In the proposed technique, the problem domain is spatially discretised using a triangular background mesh, and the polynomial point interpolation method combined with a simple node selection scheme is adopted for creating nodal shape functions. Smoothing domains are formed on top of the background mesh, and a constant smoothed strain, created by applying the smoothing operation over the smoothing domains, is assigned to each smoothing domain. The deformation and flow models are developed based on the equilibrium equation of the mixture, and linear momentum and mass balance equations of the fluid phases, respectively. The effective stress approach is followed to account for the coupling between the flow and deformation models. Further coupling among the phases is captured through a hysteretic soil water retention model that evolves with changes in void ratio. An advanced elastoplastic constitutive model within the context of the bounding surface plasticity theory is employed for predicting the nonlinear behaviour of soil skeleton. Time discretisation is performed by adopting a three‐point discretisation method with growing time steps to avoid temporal instabilities. A modified Newton‐Raphson framework is designed for dealing with nonlinearities of the discretised system of equations. The performance of the numerical model is examined through a number of numerical examples. The state‐of‐the‐art computational scheme developed is useful for simulation of geotechnical engineering problems involving unsaturated soils.

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Numerical simulation of a flow-like landslide using the particle finite element method

Cited by 125 publications

References 52 publications

An edge‐based strain smoothing particle finite element method for large deformation problems in geotechnical engineering

An edge‐based strain smoothing particle finite element method for large deformation problems in geotechnical engineering

Performance of mixed formulations for the particle finite element method in soil mechanics problems

Fully coupled elastoplastic hydro‐mechanical analysis of unsaturated porous media using a meshfree method

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