Abstract. Natural as well as fill slopes are commonly found in Hong Kong, China and many other countries, and slope failures with the subsequent debris flows have caused serious loss of lives and properties in the past till now. There are various processes and features associated with debris flow for which the engineers need to know so as to design for the precautionary measures. In this study, experiments on flume tests, friction tests, deposition tests, rebound tests have been carried out for different sizes of balls to determine the parameters required for modelling of debris flow tests. Different materials and sizes of balls are used in the flume tests, and various flow pattern and segregation phenomenon are noticed in the tests. Distinct element (DEM) debris flow modeling are also carried out to model the flow process. It is found that for simple cases, the flow process can be modelled reasonably well by DEM which is crucial for engineers to determine the pattern and impact of the debris flow. The single material and multiple material laboratory tests and numerical simulations can provide further insight into the debris flow process for which only limited field test data can be obtained in general. From the laboratory tests, large scale field tests and numerical simulations, it is also found that the particle size will be the most critical factor in the segregation process during debris flow. It is also found from the laboratory tests and numerical simulations that a jump in the flume can help to reduce the final velocity of the debris flow which is useful for practical purposes.
Laboratory and Field Test and Distinct Element Analysis of Debris Flow