<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Scale modelling should be a very useful strategy for the design of lunar structures. Preventing structural damages in the lunar environment is crucial and scale models are helpful to achieve this aim. The size of these models must be scaled to take into account the different gravitational levels. Since the lunar gravity acceleration is about one-sixth of the terrestrial one, it follows that the models on Earth will be very smaller than the prototype to be realized on the Moon. This strategy will represent an opportunity for engineers working on lunar structure design, provided that the errors, both computational and experimental, related to the change of scale are quantified, allowing reliable extension of the physical scale modelling results to the prototype. In this work, a three-dimensional finite element analysis of walls retaining lunar regolith backfill is described and discussed, in order to provide preliminary results, which can guide a future experimental investigation based on physical scale-modelling. In particular, computational errors related to the scale effects are assessed, with respect to a virtual prototype of the lunar geotechnical structure, and compared with errors from other sources of discrepancy, like the adopted constitutive model, the variability of the geotechnical parameters and the calculation section used in the 3D analysis. The results seem to suggest the soundness of this strategy of modelling and are likely to encourage new research, both numerical and experimental, supporting the structure serviceability assessment.</p></abstract>

Scale modelling should be a very useful strategy for the design of lunar structures. Preventing structural damages in the lunar environment is crucial and scale models are helpful to achieve this aim. The size of these models must be scaled to take into account the different gravitational levels. Since the lunar gravity acceleration is about one-sixth of the terrestrial one, it follows that the models on Earth will be very smaller than the prototype to be realized on the Moon. This strategy will represent an opportunity for engineers working on lunar structure design, provided that the errors, both computational and experimental, related to the change of scale are quantified, allowing reliable extension of the physical scale modelling results to the prototype. In this work, a three-dimensional finite element analysis of walls retaining lunar regolith backfill is described and discussed, in order to provide preliminary results, which can guide a future experimental investigation based on physical scale-modelling. In particular, computational errors related to the scale effects are assessed, with respect to a virtual prototype of the lunar geotechnical structure, and compared with errors from other sources of discrepancy, like the adopted constitutive model, the variability of the geotechnical parameters and the calculation section used in the 3D analysis. The results seem to suggest the soundness of this strategy of modelling and are likely to encourage new research, both numerical and experimental, supporting the structure serviceability assessment.

Remarks On The Sources Of Error In The Modelling Of Lunar Geotechnical Structures

Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Studia Geotechnica et Mechanica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Scale modelling should be a very useful strategy for the design of lunar structures. Preventing structural damages in the lunar environment is crucial and...

Remarks On The Sources Of Error In The Modelling Of Lunar Geotechnical Structures

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Sep 11, 2018

Page range: 133 - 139

Received: Jan 02, 2018

Accepted: May 29, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sgem-2018-0012

Keywords
lunar geotechnical structures, physical scale-modelling, lunar regolith, numerical simulations, retaining wall

© 2018 Cafaro Francesco et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Remarks On The Sources Of Error In The Modelling Of Lunar Geotechnical Structures

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Sep 11, 2018

Page range: 133 - 139

Received: Jan 02, 2018

Accepted: May 29, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sgem-2018-0012

Keywordslunar geotechnical structures, physical scale-modelling, lunar regolith, numerical simulations, retaining wall

© 2018 Cafaro Francesco et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
lunar geotechnical structures, physical scale-modelling, lunar regolith, numerical simulations, retaining wall