Simulation of impact response on sand-cell cushion by FEM

Abstract

     This paper presents a research of using FEM to simulate impact response on sand-cell of cushion layer of rockfall protection structures. Sand-cell was collided by a sphere from different falling heights with two kinds of lateral boundary condition: free deformation (FD) condition and material confinement (MC) condition. Simulation results were used to compare with experiment results. Some evaluations and conclusions about accuracy of numerical model and the effect of falling heights to impact response on sand-cell are presented.