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Application of kinematic and distinct element methods to investigate instability mechanism of rock slopes containing weak and hard layers

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Abstract

Investigating the instability of slopes containing weak rocks concerning construction projects such as rock–soil mixture slopes is always one of the challenging topics in civil engineering. This study investigates the role of three weak rocks in the instability of two trenches along the Yazd-Shiraz road. Physical, chemical, and mechanical properties were measured for the rock samples. The results showed that samples T2 (weak sandstone) and T3 (marly limestone) are less durable than sample T1 (hard sandstone). The soil sample covered trench 2 is a sandy soil (without cohesion with an internal friction angle of 47°) and has a significant effect on the instability of the trench. The instability of the trenches was investigated by the kinematic and discrete element methods. The results of the kinematic analysis showed that the discontinuities of trench 1 form critical intersections that can lead to wedge failure (occurrence potential of 36.36%). Also, the results showed the potential of planar sliding (18.18%) and toppling (14.54%) along trench 1. The results of numerical modeling showed that the alternation of weak and hard layers in trench 1, along with numerous discontinuities, caused the occurrence of rockfalls. Also, in trench 2, the failure occurred at the border of the surface soil and the weathered zone of the slope rock mass. The instabilities predicted by the developed numerical models were also observed in natural conditions. This confirms the ability of the models to predict the mechanism of failure in the rock cut slopes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

    Mehdi Torabi-Kaveh, Sadia Mohammadi & Seyed Mohammad Ali Moosavizadeh

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

    Hamid Mehrnahad

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  1. Mehdi Torabi-Kaveh
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  2. Hamid Mehrnahad
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  3. Sadia Mohammadi
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  4. Seyed Mohammad Ali Moosavizadeh
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Correspondence to Mehdi Torabi-Kaveh.

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Torabi-Kaveh, M., Mehrnahad, H., Mohammadi, S. et al. Application of kinematic and distinct element methods to investigate instability mechanism of rock slopes containing weak and hard layers. Model. Earth Syst. Environ. 9, 2757–2770 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-022-01672-4

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