Numerical Analysis Method That Considers Weathering and Water-Softening Effects for the Slope Stability of Carbonaceous Mudstone

Yeyang Fu, Zhaohui Liu, Ling Zeng, Qianfeng Gao (), Jintao Luo and Xinhui Xiao
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Yeyang Fu: School of Traffic & Transportation Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
Zhaohui Liu: School of Traffic & Transportation Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
Ling Zeng: School of Civil Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
Qianfeng Gao: School of Traffic & Transportation Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
Jintao Luo: School of Civil Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
Xinhui Xiao: College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: The mechanical behavior of carbonaceous mudstone deteriorates greatly when exposed to wet environments, and the precise evaluation of its slope stability has been a difficulty. This study aims to establish a numerical analysis method for the instability problems of its slopes; this method considers the effects of weathering and water-softening by establishing their mathematical expressions. The weathering and water-softening effects are reflected by variations in the mechanical properties (e.g., elastic modulus, angle of internal friction, and cohesion) of carbonaceous mudstone, with the depth following a logistic function and the shear strength parameters varying with wetting duration and degree of saturation. Their weathering and water-softening effects are reproduced with the use of the ABAQUS finite-element software and MATLAB programming. The proposed numerical method is applied to analyze the seepage field and stability of a highway cut slope with and without protection structures; the application results show that the proposed numerical method is reliable in analyzing the slope’s instability problem. The use of the herringbone skeleton structures can reduce the water-softening effects and thus increase the safety factor of the slope. The findings of this study could provide guidance to the design and construction of highway cut slopes in mountain areas that are rich in carbonaceous mudstone.

Keywords: slope; carbonaceous mudstone; weathering; wetting; numerical simulation; rainfall infiltration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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