Numerical modeling of earthquake-induced landslides using updated Lagrangian nonlocal general particle dynamics method

Abstract

Developing a robust numerical method to model earthquake-induced landslides has long been a persistent challenge in the field of computational geotechnical engineering. Recently, the meshless methods based on nonlocal theory have piqued the interest of researchers. However, the application of nonlocal theory in seismic analysis is currently limited. This paper proposed a numerical framework based on the updated Lagrangian nonlocal general particle dynamics (UL-NGPD) method to analyze earthquake-induced landslide problems. The UL-NGPD method benefiting from the update support domain can capture the whole process of slope run-out induced by earthquakes. To enhance the numerical stability of the proposed method, several optimizing strategies are proposed. In the current framework, the seismic waves are input through the proposed boundary treatments of nonlocal form. Besides, a nonlocal friction model with velocity-weakening is proposed to accurately simulate the movement process of soils on a rocky sliding bed. The proposed framework is validated by the simulations of several classic problems, including the collapse of sand and the shake table test. The performance of the proposed approach is further demonstrated through simulating the landslides induced by earthquakes. The numerical results consistent with recorded data indicate that the UL-NGPD method has an excellent capacity to deal with earthquake-induced landslide problems.