The State of the Art and New Insight into Combined Finite–Discrete Element Modelling of the Entire Rock Slope Failure Process

Huaming An, Yuqing Fan, Hongyuan Liu, Yinyao Cheng and Yushan Song
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Huaming An: Faulty of Public Security and Emergency Management, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
Yuqing Fan: School of Mining Engineering, Guizhou University of Engineering Science, Bijie 551700, China
Hongyuan Liu: College of Science and Engineering, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Yinyao Cheng: Faulty of Public Security and Emergency Management, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
Yushan Song: Faulty of Public Security and Emergency Management, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-20

Abstract: The stability of rock slopes is of significance, as even the slightest slope failure can result in damage to infrastructure and catastrophes for human beings. Thus, this article focuses on the review of the current techniques available for rock slope stability analysis. The rock slope stability techniques can be classified as conventional methods and numerical methods. The advantages and limitations of the conventional method are briefly reviewed. The numerical methods mainly included three types, i.e., continuum methods, discontinuum methods, and the combined/hybrid continuum–discontinuum methods. This article pays more attention to the last type. The combined/hybrid finite–discrete element method (FDEM), which might be the most widely used continuum–discontinuum method, is introduced and we illustrated its abilities in modelling the entire rock slope failure process. The fundamental principles of FDEM, i.e., the contact interaction of the discrete bodies and the transition from continuum to discontinuum, are introduced in detail. The abilities of the FDEM in modelling the rock slope failure process are calibrated by modelling the entire typical rock slope failure process. Then, the application of the FDEM in the analysis of slope stability is introduced and discussed. Finally, the authors give insight into the GPGUP-parallelized FDEM modelling of the high rock slope failure process by the implementation of the strength reduction method (SRM). It is concluded that the FDEM can effectively model the entire rock slope failure process, even without the implantation of any slope modes, and the GPGUP-parallelized FDEM is a promising tool in the study and application of rock slope stabilities.

Keywords: rock slope analysis; limited analysis method; numerical methods; combined/hybrid finite–discrete element method; FDEM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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