11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
[HDS08-10] Influence of weak plane orientation on the deformation and collapse of rock slopes using distinct element method
Keywords:Weak plane, Slope stability, Strain, Rock slope, Distinct element method
Weak planes or the interface of different materials, such as the interface of sandstone and shale, commonly exist inside rock slopes and are expected to influence slope deformation and collapse. The existence of a weak plane will cause strength anisotropy of the rock mass. Also, weak plane properties, such as foliation inclination angles and spacing, can affect the deformation and collapse behavior of slopes. In this study, the distinct element method (DEM) software 3DEC was used to generate small-scale laboratory slope and real-scale field slope models for four orientations of weak planes i.e. two cataclinal slopes with 40° and 60° and two anaclinal slopes with 30° and 60° inclination angles respectively. In 3DEC, the Voronoi tessellation technique was utilized to generate grain-based models for enabling the model structure to facilitate shear fractures causing a sliding surface and deformation on the structure. Simulations were performed for both the experimental slope and real-scale slope models to relatively compare their deformation results and obtain the accumulated critical strain at collapse. The deformation behavior of the slopes, the formation of the sliding surface, and the accumulated strain when the slope collapses for the four orientations of weak planes were compared and discussed. Slope model laboratory experiments were also conducted beforehand with the same weak plane orientations to verify and ensure the numerical simulation outcomes. This study aims to investigate the influence of the weak plane orientation on the deformation behavior of the slope at collapse through numerical simulations.