Physical processes within a 2D granular layer during an impact

In this paper, the impact of a block on a coarse granular soil corresponding to rockfall events is investigated using the Discrete Element Method. Different impacting particle and medium characteristics (impact point, impacting particle size and shape, sample height, etc.) are considered. The numerical results first exhibit the physical phenomena involved in the interaction between the impacting particle and the granular medium. The impact process starts with the partial energy exchange from the impacting particle to the soil. This phase is followed by the propagation of a shockwave from the impact point and a wave reflection on the bottom wall of the sample. A second energy exchange from soil particles to the impacting particle can occur if the reflected wave reaches the soil surface before the end of the impact. Based on these investigations, the impacting particle bouncing occurrence diagram is defined for various impacting particle sizes, incident kinematic parameters and sample heights. The bouncing occurrence diagram brings out three impact regimes. For a small impacting particle, the impact is mainly determined by the first interaction between the impacting particle and the soil, whereas for an intermediate-sized impacting particle, the shockwave propagation through the sample is the leading phenomenon. For a large impacting particle, bouncing is associated with the formation of a compact layer below the impacting particle.