A novel two-way method for dynamically coupling a hydrodynamic model with a discrete element model (DEM)

The effect of floating objects has so far been little considered for hazard risk assessment and structure design, despite being an important factor causing structural damage in flood-prone and coastal areas. In this work, a novel two-way method is proposed to fully couple a shock-capturing hydrodynamic model with a discrete element model (DEM) for simulation of complex debris-enriched flow hydrodynamics. After being validated against an idealized analytical test, the new coupled model is used to reproduce flume experiments of floating debris driven by dam-break waves. The numerical results agree satisfactorily with the experimental measurements, demonstrating the model’s capability and efficiency in simulating complex fluid-debris interactions induced by violent shallow flows.