Modern Software Products for Modeling the Dynamics of Avalanches and Their Interaction With Buildings

The capabilities of domestic and foreign specialized software for modeling snow avalanche motion and predicting damage examined. It shown that, despite the use of various mathematical approaches, two-dimensional motion models are popular among researchers, which is obviously due to limited computing power. It articularly noted that the use of a three-dimensional avalanche modeling space should lead to results that are more realistic; however, to maintain acceptable computation time, researchers must resort to various approximations and assumptions, which reduces the accuracy of calculations. Based on the analysis of specialized software capabilities, a proprietary problem-oriented software suite for synthesizing a 3D mathematical model of snow avalanche dynamics proposed. This suite based on a modified numerical method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). This method is chosen due to its ability to analyze the influence of slope micro- and macrotopography on the dynamics of motion, the distribution of snow density across the thickness and width of the flow, the formation of an accompanying shock wave, and, accordingly, to calculate the force impact at various points of interaction. The software suite allows for varying the interaction parameters within the avalanche body, between the snow mass and the slope, to simulate changes in meteorological conditions and, consequently, the physical properties of the snow, enabling more accurate predictions of the destructive impact of avalanches on infrastructure elements. The adequacy of the original avalanche simulation suite confirmed by comparing the results of the computer simulation with actual avalanche statistics.