A finite element analysis of flexible debris-flow barriers
Date
2018
Authors
Debelak, Aliena Marie, author
Bareither, Christopher A., advisor
Mahmoud, Hussam N., committee member
Stright, Lisa, committee member
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Abstract
The objective of this study was to simulate the stress-displacement behavior of a flexible debris-flow mitigation structure with a three-dimensional finite element model (FEM). Flexible, steel ring-net structures are becoming state-of-practice for debris-flow mitigation in mountainous terrain. These structures have been shown effective in geohazard mitigation; however, design of these structures commonly does not incorporate coupled interactions between debris flow mechanics and stress-strain response of the steel structure Thus, this study focused on assessing the effectiveness of using a FEM model in ABAQUS to simulate coupled behavior encountered in a flexible debris-flow mitigation structure. The debris flow was modeled as a series of rectangular solid blocks and the flexible debris-flow barrier was modeled as a series of three individual parts – braking elements, cables, and rings. The primary model outputs evaluated were the temporal and spatial relationships of forces within the structure and final barrier deformation. A full-scale field experiment from literature was used as a benchmark test to validate FEM simulations, and subsequently the FEM was used to assess barrier sensitivity via a parametric study. Parameters were chosen to represent common geotechnical variables of the debris flow and structural variables of the steel, ring-net structure.
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Subject
finite element analysis
mitigation
debris flow
rock fall
flexible ring net barrier