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A modified analytical method for flexural toppling of rock slopes

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Abstract

Flexural toppling is a typical failure mode of rock slopes, which usually occurs in slopes containing a set of dominant anti-dip discontinuities. The deformation of rock mass exhibits structural characteristics similar to superimposed cantilever beams. In addition to satisfying the basic interlayer slip conditions, the failure of such slopes also needs to reach the strength limits of rocks. This study re-establishes the geometric model to analyze the stability of flexural toppling slopes. The model uses the ultimate failure depth of a cantilever rock column as the boundary of toppling mass, and determines the potential sliding area at the toe by searching for the most dangerous mode of the slopes. Furthermore, a novel analytical method is proposed based on the theory of limit equilibrium. The technique makes slopes reach limit states by applying a horizontal force to rock mass, and safety factors can be solved in conjunction with critical accelerations. Finally, comparative analysis with a physical model test indicates that this method can provide a solution close to the Adhikary model. Block forces, critical accelerations, and safety factors show good consistency when the dip angle of failure surface changes, and all can reflect the stability state of slopes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mr. Hao Zhang for his help in programming.

Funding

Financial support for this research was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 11572246 and 51779207), the Shaanxi Natural Science Foundation (no. 2019JQ-756), the Special Scientific Research Project of Shaanxi Education Department (no. 19JK0452), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (no. 2019M663648).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northwest Engineering Corporation Limited, Power China, Xi’an, China

    Xiaofan An, Heng Zhou, Guanghong Ju & Shengjie Di

  2. Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an, China

    Xiaofan An & Ning Li

  3. School of Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, China

    Naifei Liu

  4. Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Space Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, China

    Naifei Liu

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  1. Xiaofan An
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  2. Heng Zhou
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  3. Guanghong Ju
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Correspondence to Xiaofan An.

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Responsible Editor: Zeynal Abiddin Erguler

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An, X., Zhou, H., Ju, G. et al. A modified analytical method for flexural toppling of rock slopes. Arab J Geosci 15, 970 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-10250-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-10250-y

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