Deposition morphology of granular column collapses

Granular column collapses result in an array of flow phenomena and deposition morphologies, the understanding which brings insights into studying granular flows both natural engineering systems. Guided by experiments, we carried out computational studies with discrete element method (DEM) to identify fundamental links between macro-scale behavior micro-scale properties columns. A dimensionless number combining particle bulk column, $$\alpha _{\text {eff}}$$ , was found from dimensional analysis determine three collapse regimes (quasi-static, inertial, liquid-like), revealing universal trends morphologies under different conditions. This may represent physically competing inertial frictional effects that govern collapse, including energy conversion dissipation. The finding is important for quantitatively materials their deposits.