Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Flexural toppling characteristics of anti-dip soft rock slope with base friction test

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As one of the primary failure modes in the anti-dip soft rock slope, the research of flexural toppling is mainly focused on the deformation and failure mechanism. To recreate the whole flexural toppling process of the anti-dip soft rock slopes with different slope angles and rock stratum dip angles, the indoor base friction physical model tests were carried out based on the similarity ratio theory in this study. Based on the macroscopic phenomenon analysis, the displacement vector cloud plots, and the displacement–time curves during the tests are obtained, here are some conclusions. The main results are as follows: According to the flexural toppling deformation characteristics of the anti-dip soft rock slope, the tensile crack formed along the rock stratum on the middle and trailing edge of the slope crest, and it was caused by the differential deformation of the rock stratum; the toppling process can be divided into three stages: the initial deformation stage, the uniform deformation stage, and the accelerated deformation stage, while the anti-dip soft rock slope can be spatially divided into four zones: the stability zone, the active toppling tensile zone, the passive toppling tensile zone, and the shearing zone.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

Data will be made available on request.

References

  • Alejano LR, Iván GM, Roberto MA (2010) Analysis of a complex toppling-circular slope failure. Eng Geol 114(1):93–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashby J (1971) Sliding and toppling modes of failure in models and jointed rock slopes. MSc thesis, Imperial College, University of London

  • Bobet A (1999) Analytical solutions for toppling failure. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 36(7):971–980

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bray JW, Goodman RE (1981) The theory of base friction models. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abs 18(6):453–468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng DX, Liu DA, Ding EB, Zhao HM, Pan W, Guo HF (2005) Analysis on infuential factors and toppling conditions of toppling rock slope. Chin J Geotech Eng 27(11):1362–1366 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen ZY (2005) Stability analysis of soil slope: principle, method and program. China Water Power Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding BD, Han ZY, Zhang GC, Beng XT, Yang YC (2021) Flexural toppling mechanism and stability analysis of an anti-dip rock slope. Rock Mech Rock Eng 54:3721–3735

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong M, Zhang F, Lv J, Fei Y, Li Z (2020) Study of stability influencing factors of excavated anti-dip rock slope. KSCE J Civ Eng 24:2293–2303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman RE, Bray JW (1976) Toppling of rock slopes. In: Proceedings of the specialty conference on rock engineering for foundations and slopes, vol 2. American Society of Civil Engineering, Boulder, pp 739–760

  • Gu DM, Huang D (2016) A complex rock topple-rock slide failure of an anaclinal rock slope in the Wu Gorge, Yangtze River, China. Eng Gol 208:165–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsu SC, Nelson PP (1995) Analyses of slopes in jointed weak rock masses using distinct element method. Proceedings of mechanics of jointed and faulted rock, April 6–9, Vienna, Austria, pp 589–594

  • Huang RQ, Li YS, Yan M (2017) The implication and evaluation of toppling failure in engineering geology practice. J Eng Geol 25(5):1165–1181 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang RQ, Zhao JJ, Ju NP, Li G, Lee ML, Li YR (2013) Analysis of an anti-dip landslide triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. Nat Hazards 68(2):1021–1039

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Z, Wang JA, Li L, Wang LX, Liang RY (2015) A case study integrating numerical simulation and GB-InSAR monitoring to analyze flexural toppling of an anti-dip slope in Fushun open pit. Eng Geol 197:20–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu CH, Jaksa MB, Meyers AG (2009) A transfer coefficient method for rock slope toppling. Can Geotech J 46(1):1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu CH, Jaksa MB, Meyers AG (2010) Toppling mechanisms of rock slopes considering stabilization from the underlying rock mass. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 47(2):348–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Majdi A, Amini M (2011) Analysis of geo-structural defects in flexural toppling failure. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 48(2):175–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nichol SL, Hungr O, Evans SG (2002) Large-scale-brittle and ductile toppling of rock slopes. Can Geotech J 39(4):773–788

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ning Y, Zhang G, Tang H, Shen W, Shen P (2019) Process analysis of toppling failure on anti-dip rock slopes under seismic load in Southwest China. Rock Mech Rock Eng 52:4439–4455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ning YB, Tang HM, Zhang BC, Shen PW, Zhang GC, Xia D (2020) Investigation of the rock similar material proportion based on orthogonal design and its application in base friction physical model tests. Rock Soil Mech 41(6):2009–2020 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard MA, Savigny KW (1990) Numerical modelling of toppling. Can Geotech J 27:823–834

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard MA, Savigny KW (1991) The Heather Hill landslide: an example of a large scale toppling failure in a natural slope. Can Geotech J 28:410–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talobre J (1957) La me´canique des roches: appliquee´ aux travaux publics. Dunod

    Google Scholar 

  • Tu GX, Deng H, Shang Q, Zhang Y, Luo XP (2020) Deep-seated large-scale toppling failure: a case study of the Lancang slope in Southwest China. Rock Mech Rock Eng 53(8):3417–3432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang YK, Sun SW, Pang B, Liu L (2020) Base friction test on unloading deformation mechanism of soft foundation waste dump under gravity. Measurement 163:108054

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei W, Duan SH, Jiang QH, Qi ZF, Zhang FF (2008) Research on some factors influencing the toppling stability in anti-inclined slope. Rock Soil Mech 29(S1):431–434 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Whyte RJ (1973) A study of progressive hanging wall caving at Chambishi coppermine in Zambia using the base friction model concept. Imperial College, London University, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Zanbak C (1983) Design charts for rock slopes susceptible to toppling. J Geotech Eng 109:1039–1062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang GC, Wang F, Zhang H, Tang HM, Li XH, Zhong Y (2018) New stability calculation method for rock slopes subject to flexural toppling failure. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 106:319–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang L, Chen Z, Bao M, Nian G, Zhou Z, Zhu T (2022) Stability analysis and movement process determination of rock masses under open-pit to underground mining conditions. Geomech and Geophy Geo 8(5):1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang S, Shi W, Yang C, Wang Y, Yu X (2022b) Experimental evaluation of gentle anti-dip slope deformation and fracture network under the action of underground mining. Landslides 1–28

  • Zhao H, Li WL, Wei JJ, Pang B (2018) Model test study on toppling deformation evolution process of counter-tilt slope. J Eng Geol 26(03):749–757 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Y, Chen C, Liu T, Zhang H, Xia K, Liu F (2018) Study on the mechanisms of flexural toppling failure in anti-inclined rock slopes using numerical and limit equilibrium models. Eng Geol 237:116–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu C, He MC, Karakus M, Cui XB, Tao ZG (2020) Investigating toppling failure mechanism of anti-dip layered slope due to excavation by physical modelling. Rock Mech Rock Eng 53(11):5029–5050

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China with Grant No. 41877263.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Xingtao Beng, Guangcheng Zhang, Yichen Yang & Dasheng Wang

  2. School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China

    Chun Zhu

  3. School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia

    Murat Karakus

Authors
  1. Xingtao Beng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Guangcheng Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yichen Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chun Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Murat Karakus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Dasheng Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guangcheng Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Beng, X., Zhang, G., Yang, Y. et al. Flexural toppling characteristics of anti-dip soft rock slope with base friction test. Bull Eng Geol Environ 82, 21 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-03037-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-03037-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation