Numerical Simulations of Extreme Deformation Problems in Granular-Dominated Hazard from Indoor to Engineering Geological Scale: A Comparative Study

Yuxin Tian¹, Wangxin Yu¹, Wanqing Yuan¹, Qingquan Liu^1,*, Xiaoliang Wang^1,2,3,*
1 Department of Mechanics, School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
2 Institute of Large Structures for Advanced Industrial Equipment, Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai, China
3 State Key Laboratory of Environment Characteristics and Effects for Near-space, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
* Corresponding Author: Qingquan Liu. Email: email ; Xiaoliang Wang. Email: email
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Recent Developments in SPH and CFD Methods for Complex Flow Simulations)

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2026.078776

Received 07 January 2026; Accepted 23 February 2026; Published online 11 March 2026

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Abstract

Granular flow, such as hopper discharge and debris flows, involves complex multi-scale, multi-phase, and multi-physics coupling, posing significant challenges for numerical simulation. Over the past two decades, methods like the Discrete Element Method (DEM), Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), and Depth-Averaging Method (DAM), have been developed to address these problems. However, their applicability across different scales remains unclear due to differences in physical assumptions and numerical algorithms. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation is critically needed. This study selects three typical methods (DEM, SPH, and DAM) to examine their convergence behavior, boundary condition implementation, and limitations in physical and numerical modeling. We numerically studied three extreme deformation flow cases with the three chosen methods. These cases include granular column collapse at the particle scale, flow-structure interaction at the laboratory scale, and reconstruction of the 2015 Shenzhen Guangming landslide at the field scale. By comparing the granular flow dynamics, deposition morphology, and structure interactions, and also the simulation accuracy and computational efficiency, we show the applicability of the three models across different scales. Further, we provide practical guidance for model selection in large-deformation flow problems in a granular system of different scales.