Study on dynamic response of cushion layer-reinforced concrete slab under rockfall impact based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics and finite-element method coupling

In the rockfall prevention and control project, the reinforced concrete (RC) slab and sand (gravel soil) soil cushion layer are commonly used to form the protection structure, thereby resisting the rockfall impact. Considering that the oversized deformation of the cushion layer under impact load using the finite element simulation cannot converge, this article establishes a numerical calculation model using smoothed particle hydrodynamics–finite-element method coupling (SPH–FEM). First, the standard Lagrange finite-element mesh is established for the whole model using ABAQUS, and then the finite-element mesh of the soil cushion layer is converted to SPH particle at the initial moment of the calculation, and finally the calculation results are solved and outputted. The results indicate that, compared with the results of the outdoor rockfall impact test, the relative errors of the rockfall impact force and the displacement of the RC slab are within 10%, which proves the rationality of the coupling algorithm; moreover, in terms of the numerical simulation, the SPH–FEM coupling algorithm is more practical than the finite element for reproducing the mobility of the rockfall impacting the sand and soil particles. In addition, at an impact speed of less than 12 m·s−1, the cushion layer is able to absorb more than 85% of the impact energy, which effectively ensures that the RC slab is in an elastic working state under small impact energy and does not undergo destructive damage under large impact energy; the peak impact force of the rockfall is approximately linear with the velocity, and the simulated value of the peak impact force is basically the same as that of the theoretical value of Hertz theory; the numerical simulation is good for reproducing the damage process of the RC slab in accordance with the actual situation. The SPH–FEM coupling algorithm is more justified than the FEM in simulating the large deformation problem, and it can provide a new calculation method for the design and calculation of the rockfall protection structure.