研究開始時の研究の概要 |
Mass movement natural disasters, such as landslides and debris flow, are among the greatest challenges of humankind in the 21st century. Due to the complexity of the subject and its large scale, it is unfeasible to study them through physical experiments. Hence, this project aims to develop a numerical tool to simulate such disasters from the forecasting of the occurrence to the prediction of the damage. In this way, it could help decision-makers to establish a safer society under the threat of mass movement natural disasters.
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研究実績の概要 |
The primary objective of my research was to develop computer programs in order to simulate landslide events using a method called Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). With this in mind, I have developed two different techniques that might be applied depending on the initiation process of the landslide: a soil-water strong coupling formulation, when the landslide is initiated by the increase of pore water pressure (e.g., heavy rain events); and a multi-physics approach, when the primary instability source are external forces (e.g., earthquakes). I presented the first method described above in various international conferences and published one paper in Computers and Geotechnics journal. As for the second method, I have submitted one paper to the same journal and it may be soon accepted. In special, the second method is based on the coupling of Solid Mechanics with Fluid Dynamics in a way that can accurately simulate the stress state of the soil as well as the changing of topology, characteristic of Fluid Dynamics. As a result, I was able to simulate the famous Aso landslide as a natural consequence of the earthquake loading applied to it. As far as my knowledge, this is the first time in which this phenomenon was simulated from initiation to propagation with the SPH method.
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