Investigations of a Weathered and Closely Jointed Rock Slope Failure Using Back Analyses

Kuo-Shih Shao, An-Jui Li, Chee-Nan Chen, Chen-Hsien Chung, Ching-Fang Lee and Chih-Ping Kuo
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Kuo-Shih Shao: Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106335, Taiwan
An-Jui Li: Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106335, Taiwan
Chee-Nan Chen: Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106335, Taiwan
Chen-Hsien Chung: Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106335, Taiwan
Ching-Fang Lee: Sinotech Engineering Consultants, Inc., Taipei 11494, Taiwan
Chih-Ping Kuo: Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Informatics, Minghsin University of Science and Technology, Hsinchu 30401, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-19

Abstract: This study presents the case of a landslide triggered by a high groundwater level caused by several days of continuous rainfall in the northeastern region of Taiwan. The slope where this landslide occurred consists of closely jointed and weathered bedrock. By means of finite element limit analysis and the Hoek–Brown failure criterion, this study performed a slope failure simulation similar to the actual landslide and deduced the reasonable value range for the combination of key Hoek–Brown failure criterion parameters through back analyses. The results indicate that the key parameters affecting the bedrock’s slope stability were the geological strength index (GSI) and the disturbance factor (D), whereas the effects of the unconfined compressive strength (σ ci ) were less significant. The results of the back analysis reveal that the suitable D-value range and GSI of closely jointed and weathered sandstone in the northeastern region of Taiwan are 0.8 to 0.9 and 20 to 30, respectively. These back-analyzed value ranges can serve as a reference for broader applications in the preliminary stability analysis of similar rock slopes where it is difficult to perform in situ investigation.

Keywords: rock mass disturbance; finite element limit analysis; Hoek–Brown failure criterion; rainfall (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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