Abstract
Landslides may be triggered by a variety of external factors and can lead to dramatic human and economic consequences. Systematically investigating all possible parameters that could potentially influence the extent of a landslide is costly and generally not practical. In this paper, a methodology to numerically assess the impact of potential landslides is proposed. In this approach the landslide simulations were carried out using finite element model estimates of potential failure volume as an input into a discrete element model which is used to assess run-out and consequences. A statistical design of experiments was implemented to determine the most important factors influencing the landslide extent thereby significantly reducing the number of simulations required. The method is illustrated on a case study of potential failure of an overburden dump at a coal mine. Over the parameter ranges considered, the particle–particle (rock block to rock block) friction coefficient and the volume of failing material were determined to be the most important factors influencing the extent of the landslide. A systematic analysis of varying the particle–particle friction coefficient was then undertaken to better understand the dynamics of the collapse and different types of collapses were identified between low and high inter-particle friction coefficients. The methodology proposed in this paper should be of interest to practitioners as a way to thoroughly yet efficiently identify and assess the main factors influencing a potential landslide on sites at risk.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Availability of data and material
Not applicable.
Code availability
Proprietary code.
References
Balmforth NJ, Kerswell RR (2005) Granular collapse in two dimensions. J Fluid Mech 538:399–428. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112005005537
Campbell CS, Cleary PW, Hopkins M (1995) Large-scale landslide simulations: Global deformation, velocities and basal friction. J Geophy Res: Solid Earth 100:8267–8283. https://doi.org/10.1029/94JB00937
Chen H, Lee CF (2003) A dynamic model for rainfall-induced landslides on natural slopes. Geomorphology 51:269–288. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(02)00224-6
Cleary PW (1998) The filling of dragline buckets. Math Eng Ind 7:1–24
Cleary P (2004) Large scale industrial DEM modeling. Eng Comput - ENG COMPUT 21:169–204. https://doi.org/10.1108/02644400410519730
Cleary P (2009) Industrial particle flow modeling using discrete element method. Eng Comput - ENG COMPUT 26:698–743. https://doi.org/10.1108/02644400910975487
Cleary PW, Campbell CS (1993) Self-lubrication for Long Runout Landslides: Examination by computer simulation. J Geophy Res: Solid Earth 98:21911–21924. https://doi.org/10.1029/93JB02380
Dai FC, Lee CF, Ngai YY (2002) Landslide risk assessment and management: an overview. Eng Geol 64:65–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7952(01)00093-X
Delaney G, Huston C, Lemiale V, et al (2014) Investigation of waste internal overburden dump failure in Medapalli RGOCII Opencast Project mines using particle methods Final report. CSIRO, Clayton, Australia
Drozd JJ, Denniston C (2010) Constitutive relations in dense granular flows. Phys Rev E 81:021305
Fell R, Corominas J, Bonnard C et al (2008) Guidelines for landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk zoning for land use planning. Eng Geol 102:85–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2008.03.022
Hungr O, McDougall S (2009) Two numerical models for landslide dynamic analysis. Comp & Geosci 35:978–992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2007.12.003
Johnson PC, Jackson R (1987) Frictional–collisional constitutive relations for granular materials, with application to plane shearing. J Fluid Mech 176:67–93. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112087000570
Jop P, Forterre Y, Pouliquen O (2006) A constitutive law for dense granular flows. Nature 441:727–730
Lemiale V, Karantgis L, Broadbridge P (2014) Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics applied to the modelling of landslides. Appl Mech Mater 553:519–524
Lemiale V, Mead S, Cleary P (2012) Numerical Modelling of Landslide Events Using a Combination of Continuum and Discrete Methods. Melbourne, Australia
Lube G, Huppert HE, Sparks RSJ, Freundt A (2005) Collapses of two-dimensional granular columns. Phys Rev E 72:041301
McArdell BW, Bartelt P, Kowalski J (2007) Field observations of basal forces and fluid pore pressure in a debris flow. Geophys Res Lett. https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL029183
McDougall S, Hungr O (2004) A model for the analysis of rapid landslide motion across three-dimensional terrain. Can Geotech J 41:1084–1097. https://doi.org/10.1139/t04-052
Mead S, Cleary PW (2011) Three dimensional avalanche modelling across irregular terrain using DEM: Comparison with experiment
Mead SR, Cleary PW (2015) Validation of DEM prediction for granular avalanches on irregular terrain. J Geophy Res F: Earth Surf 120:1724–1742. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JF003331
Mead SR, Cleary PW, Robinson GK (2012) CHARACTERISING THE FAILURE AND REPOSE ANGLES OF IRREGULARLY SHAPED THREE-DIMENSIONAL PARTICLES USING DEM. 6
S Mead G Delaney L Karantgis et al 2013 Investigation of waste dump failure in Medapalli Opencast Project mines using particle methods Preliminary report CSIRO Mathematics Informatics and Statistics Clayton, Australia
Owen PJ, Cleary PW, Mériaux C (2009) Quasi-static fall of planar granular columns: comparison of 2D and 3D discrete element modelling with laboratory experiments. Geomech Geoeng 4:55–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/17486020902767388
Pastor M, Merodo JAF, Herreros MI et al (2008) Mathematical, constitutive and numerical modelling of catastrophic landslides and related phenomena. Rock Mech Rock Eng 41:85–132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-007-0132-0
Pastor M, Manzanal D, Merodo JAF et al (2010) From solids to fluidized soils: diffuse failure mechanisms in geostructures with applications to fast catastrophic landslides. Granul Matter 12:211–228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-009-0152-4
Poulsen B, Khanal M, Rao AM et al (2014) Mine overburden dump failure: a case study. Geotech Geol Eng 32:297–309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-013-9714-7
Prime N, Dufour F, Darve F (2014) Solid–fluid transition modelling in geomaterials and application to a mudflow interacting with an obstacle. Int J Numer Anal Meth Geomech n/a-n/a. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.2260
Staron L, Hinch E (2005) Study of the collapse of granular columns using two-dimensional discrete-grain simulation. J Fluid Mech 545:1–27
Taboada A, Estrada N (2009) Rock-and-soil avalanches: theory and simulation. J Geophy Res-Earth Surf. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008jf001072
Thornton C, Cummins SJ, Cleary PW (2013) An investigation of the comparative behaviour of alternative contact force models during inelastic collisions. Powder Technol 233:30–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2012.08.012
van Asch TWJ, Malet JP, van Beek LPH, Amitrano D (2007) Techniques, issues and advances in numerical modelling of landslide hazard. Bull Soc Geol Fr 178:65–88
van Westen CJ, van Asch TWJ, Soeters R (2006) Landslide hazard and risk zonation - why is it still so difficult? B Eng Geol Environ 65:167–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-005-0023-0
Wu JCF, Hamada M (2000) Experiments: planning, analysis, and parameter design optimization. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, New York
Zienkiewicz OC, Humpheson C, Lewis RW (1975) Associated and non-associated visco-plasticity and plasticity in soil mechanics. Geotechnique 25:671–689
Funding
Not applicable.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the design of the numerical experiments. VL, SM, Deepak A, PC and GD contributed to the FEM and DEM simulations. CH, David A carried out the statistical analyses.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflicts of interest
No conflict of interest to declare.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lemiale, V., Huston, C., Mead, S. et al. Combining Statistical Design with Deterministic Modelling to Assess the Effect of Site-Specific Factors on the Extent of Landslides. Rock Mech Rock Eng 55, 259–273 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-021-02674-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-021-02674-x