Experimental investigation of laboratory-scale granular landslide impacting on dry and liquid surfaces

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

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Published online: 1 December 2025

Abstract

Granular materials display a wide range of behaviours in natural phenomena such as avalanches and landslides. The focus of the present work is to experimentally study and compare the run-off dynamics of the laboratory-scale granular landslide impacting on a horizontal dry surface of varying roughness. Various grades of industrial sandpaper (80, 600, and 1000 grit) are used to study how the surface properties modify the frictional interaction between the particles and the surface. Wet granular experiments are performed to study the effect of a water body (water depths of 5 mm and 10 mm) in front of the landslide to control the flow. Through systematic experimentation, a broad range of parameters, including flow speeds, slope angles, and the surface friction of a depository table, are investigated to delineate interaction characteristics. Granular flow is studied for different angles of inclination (35°-60°) and compared using spread area, run-off distance, and height of the terminated flow. At lower angles, the run-off distance experiences a reduction of approximately 50% for the frictional surface. Additionally, the potential use of water bodies as a control measure shows promising results. The observations suggest a potential defence mechanism for controlling hazardous landslide scenarios. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of granular flows and would stimulate future research in this area.