Dynamic and static stability assessment of rock slopes against wedge failures

Abstract

The stability of slopes during and after excavation is always of great concern in the field of rock engineering. One of the structurally controlled modes of failure in jointed rock slopes is wedge failure. The limiting equilibrium methods for slopes under various conditions against wedge failure have been previously proposed by several investigators. However, these methods do not involve dynamic assessments and have not yet been validated by experimental results. In this paper, the tests performed on model wedges under static and dynamic loading conditions are described and the existing limiting equilibrium methods are extended to take into account dynamic effects. The applicability and validity of the presented method are checked through model tests carried out under well controlled conditions and by actual cases studied by the authors, both in Turkey and Japan.