Study of the influence of rheological parameters on the behavior of a submarine debris flow

• Published in: Soils & rocks 2024-10, Vol.47 (4), p.e2024001524
• Main Authors: Hotta, Marcelo Muta, Almeida, Marcio de Souza Soares, Oliveira, José Renato Moreira da Silva, Borges, Ricardo Garske
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; por
• Subjects: ENGINEERING, CIVIL
• ISSN: 1980-9743; 2675-5475; 2675-5475
• DOI: 10.28927/SR.2024.001524

Submarine debris flows are events that occur with great frequency on a geological scale and can cause major damage to offshore structures or even loss of human life. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the development of a debris flow requires not only knowledge of soil mechanics, but also knowledge of fluid mechanics, since the incorporation of water during the flow causes changes in shear strength. Unlike soils, the shear strength of fluids is represented by mathematical models called rheological models. The objective of this paper is to propose a new rheological model capable of representing the changes caused by water entrainment into a submarine debris flow, by correlating it with the Liquidity Index of the soil. A rheological analysis of marine clay samples from the pre-salt layer has made it possible to represent the variation in strength due to water content. The influence of water content and velocity on flow behavior has also been studied through the analysis of centrifuge tests performed in a previous study.