The Effect of River Channel Characteristics on Landslide-Generated Waves and the Dynamic Water Pressure of the Dam Surface

In a reservoir area, impulsive landslide surges induced by slope failure may pose huge damage to the dam and the lives in the shoreline areas, which are greatly affected by river channel characteristics. In this study, water depth, the width of the water surface, and the bending angle of river channel were chosen as the main influencing factors. The numerical method was used to investigate the influence of river channel characteristics on wave propagation and the distribution of dynamic water pressure on the dam surface. The effect mechanism was analyzed, and a prediction model considering river channel characteristics for the propagation wave height was established. Results show that water depth and the bending angle of the river channel play a positive role in the attenuation of the energy carried by landslide surges. The width of the water level mainly influences the propagation of impulse waves in the far-field area. The river channel characteristics affect the value of the dynamic pressure on the dam surface but have a minor effect on dynamic pressure distribution. The distribution of dynamic pressure on the dam is greatly influenced by the distance between the dam site and the place where the landslide occurs.

Numerical Investigation of Surge Waves Generated by Submarine Debris Flows

Submarine debris flows and their generated waves are common disasters in Nature that may destroy offshore infrastructure and cause fatalities. As the propagation of submarine debris flows is complex, involving granular material sliding and wave generation, it is difficult to simulate the process using conventional numerical models. In this study, a numerical model based on the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) algorithm is proposed to simulate the propagation of submarine debris flow and predict its generated waves. This model contains the Bingham fluid model for granular material, the Newtonian fluid model for the ambient water, and a multiphase granular flow algorithm. Moreover, a boundary treatment technique is applied to consider the repulsive force from the solid boundary. Underwater rigid block slide and underwater sand flow were simulated as numerical examples to verify the proposed SPH model. The computed wave profiles were compared with the observed results recorded in references. The good agreement between the numerical results and experimental data indicates the stability and accuracy of the proposed SPH model.