Performance evaluation of slit-type barrier for debris flow mitigation by a parametric study

Abstract

Debris flow refers to a phenomenon of soil and rock that float along with water which is induced by extreme rainfall. The damage caused by the debris flow is catastrophic and in order to prevent such damage, installation of debris flow barrier is necessary. Construction of slit-type barrier have increased recently due to its advantage of minimum environmental destruction. This paper presents debris mobility analysis results for a slit type debris flow barrier and the effect of various parameters on the barrier performance by using CFD program FLOW-3D. In this research, the influence of parameters, including grain size, sediment concentration, initial velocity, volume, arrangement, height and slit ratio are considered. Based on the results of the parametric study, the design method of the barrier with high performance is also presented. The results confirm reasonably correlated relationships between selected parameters and debris flow mitigation by the barrier which can be contributed to an optimum design of debris flow barrier. Performances of V-type barrier and double-type barrier were analysed and they showed high efficiency compared to P-type barrier and single-type barrier.