Modelling of the Quickness Test of Sensitive Clays Using the Generalized Interpolation Material Point Method

The presence of the sensitive clays in Scandinavia and Canada creates quick clay landslide hazards. The ability to predict the likelihood of such landslides occurrence, as well as their outreach would reduce the damage to the infrastructures and loss of life. Recently, a simple experimental technique named a quickness test (Thakur V, Degago S, Geotech Lett 2:87–95, 2012) has been employed to investigate the susceptibility of the clay to create large retrogression landslides. In this paper, we applied Generalized Interpolation Material Point Method (a numerical method suitable for large displacement dynamic problems) to replicate the quickness test experiment. The primary goal of the presented simulations is to further validate the modelling technique and the constitutive model used. In particular, the computations suggest the importance of the strain rates for the prediction of the run-out distance of the remoulded sensitive clays.