Flexible barriers are widely used to mitigate granular flows. In practice, flow regimes may keep changing along a flow path after the initiation of granular flows. The effects of flow regimes should be considered in the design of flexible barriers to intercept granular flow. In this study, flow regimes are divided into three types: dilute flow; dense flow; and quasistatic flow. The impact mechanisms of dense granular flows and dilute granular flows against flexible barriers are investigated using flume tests and the discrete element method. Influences of the ratio of the average particle size to the mesh size of a flexible barrier and particle segregation on the interaction between the flexible barrier and the granular flow are revealed. Differences of the impact mechanisms between rockfall and granular flow are compared. Results show that the impact force of dense granular flow against a flexible barrier will not increase linearly with the average particle size. The tensile force of the bottom cable is usually the maximum tensile force among all cables of the flexible barrier. Particle segregation will lead to increase in impact force of dense flows and tensile force of the upper cables. Impact force of the dilute granular flow increases with the average particle size. Different from the failure of a flexible barrier under the impact of the dense flow, the middle and upper cables are easier to break. Based on these findings, a useful reference for the future design of flexible barriers was proposed.

The installation of a rigid wall is a main approach to mitigate a granular flow. The methods of the impact load against a rigid wall still remains a challenge. In this study, the progresses in the estimation of the impact load of granular flow against a rigid wall are introduced in detail. The influences of the slope angle, the installed angle of rigid wall, the volume of granular flow are not fully considered into the present models. The discrete element method is employed to reveal the effects of these factors on the impact load. The numerical results show that the volume of granular flow is a key factor to determine the evolution of the impact load on a rigid wall. The dynamic impact load of granular flow at the initial stage is decided by the angle between the rigid wall and slope surface. If the installation angle is same, the slope angle mainly determines the static load of granular flow. Based on these findings, we propose simplified model that the relationship between the impact load and the multiple physical parameters, such as slope angle, installation angle, repose angle, flow height and flow velocity, basal friction angle, and the volume of granular flow, is taken into account.

Rising industrialization, urbanization, and population growth have impacted rural and mountainous spatial paradigms, leading to fragmented village layouts and ecological degradation, profoundly affecting the Quality of Rural Life (QRL). Although the Chinese government has issued many policies and regulations, most do not target the improvement of QRL, resulting in implementation challenges and social controversy. This study develops a QRL model that quantitatively links external spatial factors to QRL outcomes at the village scale. Using the Shuicheng District in the Wumeng mountainous region in China as a case study, we employed a positivist quantitative approach, combining structured resident surveys, geospatial data collection, and regression analysis to identify key spatial determinants of QRL. Results indicate that the proportion of arable land and distance to nearest town are the most significant spatial predictors of QRL, while factors such as distance to cities and irrigation water sources showed limited influence. The model offers a practical decision-support tool for improving village site selection and layout planning, helping to mitigate the issues of the low rural living quality caused by irrational land layout. This research contributes to rural revitalization efforts and supports more sustainable, QRL-centered development strategies in mountainous regions.