A nonlocal dense granular flow model implemented in the material point method

Abstract

A nonlocal model for dense granular flow is implemented in the material point method (MPM), an extension of the finite element method (FEM) for solid mechanics. The nonlocal model used has shown great predictive capability for dense flows when implemented in the finite element framework, but limitations of FEM prevent application of the model to truly large scale, inhomogeneous deformations. We show that these FEM results may be replicated in the MPM framework through the solution of a vertical chute flow, and allows for future work utilizing the strengths of MPM for larger and more complex flows.