Scaling up debris-flow experiments on a centrifuge

Boundary forces generated by debris flows can be powerful enough to erode bedrock and cause considerable damage to infrastructure during runout. Formulation of an erosion-rate law for debris flows is therefore a high priority, and it makes sense to build such a law around laboratory experiments.  We scale up granular impact forces by running our experiments under enhanced gravity in a geotechnical centrifuge. Using a 40cm-diameter rotating drum spun at up to 100g, we generate debris flows with an effective depth of over several meters. By varying effective gravity from 1g to 100g we explore the scaling of granular flow forces and the consequent bed and wall erosion rates. The velocity and density structure of these granular flows is monitored using laser sheets, high-speed video, and particle tracking, and the progressive erosion of the boundary surfaces is measured by laser scanning. 

 

For more information, contact Colin Stark at - cstark@ldeo.columbia.edu.