Study of landslide run-out and impact on protection structures with the Material Point Method

Reliable estimates of the impact forces induced by flow-like landslides on existing structures is of great importance for hazard assessment. This is customarily obtained by means of empirically based relationships but, significant differences may be encountered using the existing approaches. Large scale experimental studies are expensive and difficult to set up; for this reason a numerical technique able to simulate the material flow and its interaction with structures would be helpful for the hazard assessment as well as for the design of mitigation measures. This paper shows the applicability of the Material Point Method (MPM), a meshless method specifically developed to describe large deformations of bodies, to the study of granular flow propagation and impact forces on rigid structures. Complex shapes of the structure as well as different soil-structure interface properties are considered. It is shown that the MPM may represent a suitable tool to support the design of landslide mitigation measures.