Failure Mechanism and Stability Analysis of Rock Slope: New Insight and Methods

Preface
About This Book
Contents
About the Author
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
	1.1 Background
	1.2 Crack Propagation and Coalescence in Rocks
	1.3 Numerical Methods of Rock Slope Stability Analysis
		1.3.1 Limit Equilibrium Method
		1.3.2 Numerical Techniques and Strength Reduction Method
		1.3.3 Fracture Mechanics Method
	1.4 Main Contents in This Book
	References
Part IExperimental Studies on Shear Failure Mechanism of Rock Masses
2 Influence of Flaw Inclination on Shear Fracturing and Fractal Behavior
	2.1 Experimental Studies
		2.1.1 Specimen Preparation
		2.1.2 Testing Equipment
		2.1.3 Physical Implications of Shear-Box Test
	2.2 Patterns of Crack Propagation and Coalescence
		2.2.1 Tensile Cracks
		2.2.2 Shear Cracks
		2.2.3 Coalescence
	2.3 Peak Shear Strength of Flawed Specimens
		2.3.1 Role of Shear-Normal Stress Ratio
		2.3.2 Role of Flaw Inclination
	2.4 Fractal Characteristics of the Fragmentation
		2.4.1 Sieve Test Analysis
		2.4.2 Calculation of Fractal Dimension
		2.4.3 Results and Discussions
	2.5 Conclusions
	References
3 Influence of Flaw Density on Shear Fracturing and Fractal Behavior
	3.1 Experimental Studies
		3.1.1 The 1991 Randa Rockslide and Conceptual Rock Bridge Model
		3.1.2 Specimen Preparation
		3.1.3 Experimental Setup and Results
	3.2 Numerical Shear-Box Tests with the RFPA Model
	3.3 Shear Fracturing Behavior of Rock Bridges
		3.3.1 Mechanical Behavior of Crack Initiation
		3.3.2 Mechanical Behavior of Crack Propagation and Coalescence
		3.3.3 Peak Shear Strength of Specimens
		3.3.4 Discussion
	3.4 Fractal Characteristics of the Shear Fracture Surface
		3.4.1 Digital Image Processing
		3.4.2 Box-Counting Fractal Dimension
		3.4.3 Results and Discussion
	3.5 Conclusions
	References
Part IILarge-Scale, Global Failure Mechanism and Stability Analysis
4 Empirical Methods for Estimating Strength Parameters of Jointed Rock Masses
	4.1 Methods Relating Strength with RQD
	4.2 Methods Relating Strength with Q
	4.3 Methods Relating Strength with RMR
	4.4 Methods Relating Strength with Hoek-Brown Failure Criterion and GSI
	References
5 Kinematical Element Method
	5.1 Kinematical Element Formulation Subjected to Seismic Loading and Water
		5.1.1 Generation and Discretization of a Plastic Sliding Zone
		5.1.2 Kinematics Analysis
		5.1.3 Static Analysis
		5.1.4 Factor of Safety Computation
		5.1.5 Optimization
	5.2 Numerical Studies and Verification
		5.2.1 Example 1
		5.2.2 Example 2
		5.2.3 Example 3
		5.2.4 Influence of Vertical and Inclined Inter-Element Boundaries
	5.3 Blasting Effect on Slope Stability and Example Analysis
	5.4 Seismic Stability Charts for Slopes
		5.4.1 Seismic Stability Charts for Preliminary Analysis
		5.4.2 Back Analysis Based on Seismic Stability Charts
	5.5 Rigorous Back Analysis
		5.5.1 Theoretical Background
		5.5.2 Back Analysis Procedure
		5.5.3 Example Analysis
	5.6 Reliability Analysis
		5.6.1 Theoretical Background
		5.6.2 Example Analysis
	5.7 Conclusions
	References
6 Integrated Karst Cave Stochastic Model-Limit Equilibrium Method
	6.1 Engineering Background
		6.1.1 Study Site
		6.1.2 Stratigraphy
		6.1.3 Karst Data Collection
	6.2 A Monte Carlo Simulation to Generate a Karst Cave Stochastic Model
		6.2.1 General Description
		6.2.2 A Stochastic Representation of the Length of a Karst Cave
		6.2.3 A Stochastic Representation for the Length of Carbonatite
		6.2.4 Karst Cave Stochastic Model Generator
	6.3 Integrated Methodology for Stability Analysis
		6.3.1 Stability Analysis Procedure
		6.3.2 Numerical Model of Open Pit Slope
		6.3.3 Results and Discussions
	6.4 Optimization Design of the Slope Angle
		6.4.1 Optimization Procedure
		6.4.2 Results and Discussions
	6.5 Conclusions
	References
7 Strain-Softening Behavior and Strength Reduction Method
	7.1 Progressive Failure and Improved Strength Reduction Method
		7.1.1 Strain-Softening Behavior
		7.1.2 Strain-Softening Model and Strength Reduction Method
	7.2 Numerical Study and Verification
	7.3 Progressive Failure Analysis
	7.4 Parameters Analysis
		7.4.1 Effect of Residual Shear Strain Threshold
		7.4.2 Effect of Elastic Modulus
		7.4.3 Effect of Poisson’s Ratio and Dilation Angle
	7.5 Application
	7.6 Conclusions
	References
8 Three-Dimensional Effect and Strength Reduction Method
	8.1 Three-Dimensional Effect of Boundary Conditions
	8.2 Three-Dimensional Effect of Strength Parameters
	8.3 Stability Charts for Three-Dimensional Slope
		8.3.1 Development of Stability Charts
		8.3.2 Numerical Results
		8.3.3 Numerical Studies and Verification
		8.3.4 Three-Dimensional Effect of Concentrated Surcharge Load
	8.4 Calculation Procedure for Slope Stability Analysis
	8.5 Conclusions
	References
Part IIIStructurally-Controlled Failure Mechanism and Stability Analysis
9 Discontinuity Kinematical Element Method
	9.1 Discontinuity Kinematical Element Formulation with Major Geological Discontinuities
		9.1.1 Generation of a Failure Mass
		9.1.2 Kinematics Analysis
		9.1.3 Static Analysis
		9.1.4 Optimization
	9.2 Numerical Studies and Verification
		9.2.1 Example 1
		9.2.2 Example 2
		9.2.3 Example 3
		9.2.4 Effect of Number of Sub-Elements
	9.3 Rock Slope with Non-Persistent Discontinuities
		9.3.1 Effect of Location of Rock Bridge
		9.3.2 Effect of Discontinuity Persistence
		9.3.3 Application
	9.4 Conclusions
	References
10 Joint Element and Strength Reduction Method
	10.1 Engineering Background
	10.2 Discontinuity Modelling in DDM
		10.2.1 Theoretical Formulation
		10.2.2 Joint Element
		10.2.3 Stress Intensity Factor
		10.2.4 Verification
	10.3 Modeling of Failure Initiation
		10.3.1 Application of the DDM Code in Numerical Models
		10.3.2 Results and Discussions
	10.4 Discontinuity Modelling in FLAC3D
		10.4.1 Interface Element
		10.4.2 Solid Element with Low Strength
		10.4.3 New Joint Element
	10.5 Modelling of Progressive Failure
		10.5.1 FLAC3D Numerical Model
		10.5.2 Results and Discussions
	10.6 Role of Joint Inclination on Slope Stability
	10.7 Conclusions
	References
11 Fracture Mechanics Method
	11.1 Engineering Background
		11.1.1 Study Site
		11.1.2 Geological Model
		11.1.3 Numerical Model
	11.2 Theoretical Formulation
		11.2.1 Fracture Criterion
		11.2.2 Definition of Factor of Safety
	11.3 Modeling Fracture Behavior
	11.4 Role of Joint Geometry Parameters on Slope Stability
		11.4.1 Effect of Joint Inclination
		11.4.2 Effect of Joint Length
		11.4.3 Effect of Joint Location
	11.5 Evolution of Slopes Subject to Weathering
		11.5.1 Quantification of Weathering
		11.5.2 Determination of Critical Notch Depth
		11.5.3 Prediction of Failure-Time
		11.5.4 Discussions
	11.6 Conclusions
	References