The products shape influence investigation of rock fall processes on their kinematic and energy parameters

Introduction. Reducing the impact of rock falls during the construction and operation of various geotechnical structures in the mountainous regions of the Russian Federation is an urgent task. An effective way to counter this process is the construction of anti-avalanche structures, the parameters of which are determined by the energy characteristics of the rock fragments rolling down the slopes. The shape of the debris has a direct impact on these characteristics. The purpose of the research. Evaluation of the possibility of using numerical modeling methods implemented in the RAMMS: Rock fall software package to calculate rock fall parameters taking into account the shape of rock fragments to increase the efficiency of assigning parameters to anti-rock structures. Methodology. The paper uses the RAMMS: Rock fall software package, which allows numerical modeling of collapse processes for fragments of various shapes while specifying an arbitrary topography of the relief and taking into account the characteristics of its surface. The verification of the performed calculations was carried out according to analytical and empirical dependencies. Results and discussions. The research results substantiate the primary importance of the influence of the shape of rock fall products on their kinematic and energy characteristics, as well as on the trajectory of their movement along the slope. The value of the total kinetic energy of rock fragments calculated in RAMMS: Rock fall for bodies of “equivalent” shape is 50% higher than for spherical, under the same topographic conditions. This is due to the complex topology of a body of an “equivalent” shape, characterized by a large number of edges, which leads to lower energy losses when interacting with a solid surface than in a spheroid. Conclusion. The article substantiates the relevance of research on the study of landslide processes, as well as the prevention of their negative consequences. The analysis of various approaches for calculating the kinematic and energy parameters of rock fall products is carried out. The necessity of taking into account the shape of rock fragments when estimating their total kinetic energy is confirmed. The effectiveness of using the RAMMS: Rock fall PC for calculating the specified parameters for bodies of various shapes is demonstrated. Resume. 1. The results of numerical modeling of collapse processes in the RAMMS: Rock fall complex for rock fragments of various shapes are presented. 2. A high degree of convergence of the research results for spheroids with empirical estimates is shown. 3. It is noted that empirical approaches are intended only for spheroids, which necessitates the use of numerical methods that make it possible to effectively calculate the parameters under consideration for bodies of complex shapes.