ABSTRACT
MPM is a mesh-free method designed for large deformation problems. This paper presents the calibration by inverse analysis of a MPM model for a dry sand flow experiment conducted in a miniature flume. The simulations were carried out using the Anura3D code and adopting a Mohr-Coulomb frictional constitutive law for the propagating soil. An inverse analysis algorithm was used to evaluate the sensitivity and optimize some of the input parameters of the model. Four sets of observations have been considered to define the error functions, representing the soil thickness profiles along the slope at four distinct times. The results are presented in relation to: the ability of the model to simulate the behaviour of the sand flow; the sensitivity of the results to changes in the parameter values; the effectiveness of the calibration procedure; the type and number of observations used.
