Coupled Continuous–Discontinuous Simulation of Rockfall Protection Systems

Coupled Continuous–Discontinuous Simulation of Rockfall Protection Systems

The use of catchfences is common in rockfall protection, but they are difficult to model because of their high flexibility and large deformation. This study integrates two explicit numerical methods, the Vector Form Intrinsic Finite Element(VFIFE) method and the Discrete Element Method(DEM), to achieve coupled continuous–discontinuous simulation of dynamic behavior in a rockfall protection system. The former method is based on particle and continuum theories for studying the stability and large-deformation dynamic behavior of a catchfence, while the latter method provides numerical models from contact theory for studying the interaction between a catchfence and rigid rocks. An in-house simulation platform, named VESEN(Versatile Engineering Simulation ENvironment), developed by the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering(NCREE) in Taiwan, is used to simulate the behavior of cable elements and contact between deformable and rigid elements. The simulated results are shown to be useful for advancing the design of rockfall protection systems.