Modeling and numerical simulation of landslide dynamics

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Dieter Dinkler
• Subject Area: Applied Mechanics, Statics and Dynamics
• Term: from 2009 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 149076057

Selected topographies on earth are threatened by sudden landslides on natural or artificial hillsides. The damage caused by landslides can be significant in terms of human lives and economic losses. Therefore, the assessment of landslide-risks for today and future populated areas re- quires reliable prediction of such hazards and development of effective mathematical models in order to describe the motion of kinematic landslides. Modern numerical solution methods enable realistic simulations of the dynamic behaviour of the slide under consideration and related processes in the inner landslide-material structure.The research project develops and proves a continuum-based mathematical and a finite-element-based numerical model for the analysis of landslide motion. Interaction between the landslide-material and free-surface fluids as well as the basal topography is described by an inter- face-coupled formulation of the involved continua. The interfacial balance equations of mass and momentum are used to couple the interacting continua. Available experimental investigations are used for verification of the model.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Luxembourg
• Participating Person: Professor Dr.-Ing. Andreas Zilian