Modelling of sand column collapse with material point method

The paper shows numerical analysis of sand column collapse. The simulation was performed with the material point method and the results are compared to experiment. The problem considered involves extreme deformations and is difficult to model with more traditional numerical approaches like the finite element method. In the analysis, the sand is modelled with a rate-independent Mohr-Coulomb model. Despite the use of a simple constitutive model, the computed results agree with the experimental observations reasonably well. This agreement is satisfactory both during and after the collapse.