An MPs-Mesh scheme for modeling soil impacting with rigid boundaries.

A particle-plane contact model from the discrete element method has been incorporated into the material point method (MPM) to form an MPs-Mesh scheme for modeling the interactions between soil and boundaries. This scheme enables soil to be simulated with MPM to reflect its large-deformation process and boundaries modeled by a series of triangular elements, i.e., some small triangular planes, to describe complex surfaces flexibly. A more realistic contact detection can be achieved by using the particle-plane contact model between the material points and triangular elements, and both accuracy and efficiency can be improved compared to the classical Bardenhagen's contact algorithm in MPM. The accuracy of the contact model is verified using two simple benchmark examples, i.e., a block sliding on an inclined frictional plane and a sphere sliding on an arc-shaped surface, by comparing the simulation results to analytical solutions. A flume test, i.e., dry granular flow impacting a retaining wall, is simulated for further validation. The Xinmo landslide is also simulated to validate its reliability in engineering-scale soil-boundary interaction problems. The proposed MPs-Mesh scheme allows for complex boundaries to be easily modeled, and interactions between soil and boundaries to be captured and calculated accurately and efficiently, thus solving natural and engineering problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]