Experimental Investigation of Debris Flow Interactions with Cubic Slit Barriers

Debris flows are a type of geophysical flow composed of soil, rock, and water. These flows typically occur on steep mountainous slopes due to intense rainfall. Their substantial volume and high velocity enable them to travel long distances, causing significant casualties downstream, financial loss, and damage to infrastructures. To mitigate the destructive power of debris flows, slit barriers are placed along the flow path to impede the movement of rocks and coarse particles downstream, thereby reducing flow velocity and energy. Since the efficiency of barriers in dissipating energy depends on their interaction with debris flows, the aim of this study is to investigate the interaction mechanisms between debris flows and cubic slit barriers. To achieve this aim, a series of experiments were conducted using a two-dimensional physical flume model. Image analysis of the interaction process revealed that the overflow angle of the debris flow over cubic barriers changes in parallel with the dead zone formed upstream of the barriers. Moreover, the installation of two rows of cubic barriers resulted in a ۷۸% reduction in debris flow velocity. However, as the flow approaches the end of the flume, re-acceleration occurs, indicating the short-term impact of these barriers.

کلیدواژه ها:

Geohazard ، Debris flow ، Rigid slit barriers ، Physical modeling