Dynamic centrifuge model tests and material point method analysis of the impact force of a sliding soil mass caused by earthquake-induced slope failure

Dynamic centrifuge model tests and associated analyses are carried out to develop a procedure for simulating the slope failure process during earthquakes and to evaluate the force of a sliding soil mass impacting a structure. This impact force is successfully measured in the dynamic centrifuge model tests using a slope height of 50 m in the prototype scale. The results of a pseudo-static limit equilibrium analysis, assuming a circular failure plane, show that a stability analysis can be an effective tool for evaluating the critical acceleration under which the slope failure starts, although it is not applicable for evaluating the runout distance or the impact force of the sliding soil mass to the structure. Therefore, an attempt is also made in this study to examine the applicability of empirical equations for evaluating the impact force by comparing the evaluated impact force using Hertz’s equation and an empirical equation based on fluid mechanics with the measured ones. The comparison reveals that these simple equations would not be able to estimate the impact force well, even though parameter setting is required for applying the equations. On the other hand, it is also found from a relevant analysis that the material point method (MPM) is an effective tool for simulating the failure behavior of a slope and for evaluating the impact force of a sliding soil mass induced by a slope failure.