Modelling Rockslide Displacements with Delayed Plasticity

To model the temporal evolution of complex landslides, a 1D pseudo-dynamic visco-plastic approach, based on Perzyna’s theory, has been modified. In the original version of the model, the viscous nucleus has been assumed to be bi-linear: where irreversible deformations develop uniquely for positive yield function values whereas, in a more general case, it can also develop for negative values. In this work the model has been enriched by considering: (1) an exponential viscous nucleus, (2) a strain-rate softening to reduce friction angle as the sliding velocity increases and (3) block interaction forces to cope with complex 3D geometries for the sliding mass.