Topic 3 Rock slope stability analysis

using kinematic method

538416 Surface Mining and Mine Design
 Strike: The strike of a plane is an angle that can have any value in between 0 and 360º. It
is the azimuth of the "strike line" of the plane. The strike line is the intersection between an
horizontal surface and the plane under consideration. (The azimuth is measured clockwise
along an horizontal plane from the North direction to the strike line).
 Dip: The dip is an angle that can have any value between 0 (horizontal plane) to 90º
(vertical plane). It is measured along a vertical plane perpendicular to the strike line, from
an horizontal plane, down to the plane under consideration.
 Dip Direction: Two planes may have the same strike an dip. What differentiate them is the
direction of the dip expressed by the geographic quadrant (N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, EES, SSE,
SE, etc...) the planes are facing.
By convention the strike is expressed by a three digit number, and the dip by a two digit
number. A plane striking 25º and dipping 45º toward the northwest will be noted: 025-
45NW
 Plunge: The plunge of a line is an angle that can have any value between 0 (horizontal
line) to 90º (vertical line). It is measured along the vertical plane that contain the line, from
an horizontal plane down to the line under consideration.
 Plunge direction: Two lines may have the same plunge. What differentiate them is the
direction of the plunge expressed by the geographic quadrant (N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, EES,
SSE, SE, etc...) the lines are facing.
By convention the plunge direction is expressed by a three-digit number, and the plunge
by a two-digit number. A line plunging 35º toward the azimuth 35º will be noted: 45º->035
Factors affecting slope stability
 Geological discontinuities of rock mass
 Geotechnical properties of slope
 Groundwater and rainfall (force due to seepage of water)
 Geometry of slope (gravitational force)
 State of stress
 Erosion of the surface of the slopes due to flowing water
 Seismic effect (force due to earthquakes)
 Dynamic forces due to blasting
 Slope modification, Under cutting
 Temperature and spontaneous heating
 Presence of underground galleries
 Rock mass structure/ Joint shear
Intact rock
Discontinuity strength
strength

Intact rock Slope

properties geometry
(overall slope
Groundwater height, overall
condition slope angle)

Excavation State of stress

method
Differences in the shear and normal
components of the gravitational force on
slopes with differing steepness. The
gravitational force is the same in all three
cases. In (a) the shear force is substantially less
than the shear strength, so the block should
be stable. In (b) the shear force and shear
strength are about equal, so the block may or
may not move. In (c) the shear force is
substantially greater than the shear strength,
so the block is very likely to move. [SE]
m = 20 kg
 = 30 degrees

Joint shear strength

c = 2 MPa
f = 20 degrees
 A
B
Rock slope stability analysis
 Conventional methods of rock slope analysis
 Kinematic analysis (using stereonets projection method)
 Limit equilibrium (using formula in term of resisting force and
driving force)
 Computer methods of rock slope analysis
 RocPlane  FLAC2D
 RocWedge  etc.
 RocFall
 Slide
 Phase2D
Kinematic analysis
Plane Failure

Wedge Failure

Toppling Failure

Circular Failure
Kinematic method: Plane failure

SF
SF

P
Kinematic method: Wedge failure

P1

P2
SF

P1

P2

SF
Kinematic method: Toppling failure

P
SF
P

SF
Kinematic method: Circular failure

SF

SF
 Kinematic method
Presentation of structural geology on
stereonets, and preliminary evaluation of
slope stability of proposed open pit mine.
Kinematic method: Plane failure

SF
SF

P
 b

ys

Peak water pressure

yp
yf
General condition for plane failure
 Strike of sliding plane // strike of slope face (± 20 degrees)
 Daylight (yf > yp)
 Overcome friction angle (yp > f)
 Upper end of sliding surface intersects upper slope / tension crack
 Release surface
The geometry of the slope is defined two cases:
(a) A slope having a tension crack in its upper surface
(b) A slope with a tension crack in its face.
Assumptions required for analysis
 Both sliding surface and tension crack strike parallel to the slope surface.
 The tension crack is vertical and is filed with water to a depth zw.
 Water in sliding surface and tension crack subjected to atmospheric pressure.
 All forces act through the centroid of the sliding mass.
 Using Coulomb criterion,  = c +  tan f
 Release surfaces is no resistance to sliding.
Kinematic method: Wedge failure

Set 2

Set 1
General condition for wedge failure
 Two plane always
intersect in a line ai

(trend ai and plunge yi)

 Daylight and overcome
friction angle ai’

(yfi > yi > f)

 Line of intersection is
between ai and ai’
 Trend ai and Plunge yi

Critical Area

1 tan y A cos a A  tan y B cos a B

a i  tan ( )
tan y B sin a B  tan y A sin a A
y i  tan y A cos(a A  a i )  tan y B cos(a B  a i )
Kinematic method: Circular failure
closely fractured or
highly weathered
rock
 General conditions for circular failure
 The failure of rock slopes is controlled by geological features
such as bedding planes and joints that divide mass.
 Under these conditions, one or more of the discontinuities
normally defines the slide surface.
 However, in the case of a closely fractured or highly weathered
rock, a strongly defined structural pattern no longer exists, and
the slide surface is free to find the line of least resistance through
the slope.
 Observations of slope failures in these materials suggest that this
slide surface generally takes the form of a circle, and most
stability theories are based upon this observation.
Kinematic method:
Toppling failure f > yP
(Stable)
yp

f > yP
(Toppling)
f < yP
(Sliding)
yp yp
Kinematic method: Toppling failure

P
SF
P

SF
 General conditions for toppling failure
1. Block Shape Test
yp < fp (Stable)
Dx/y < tan yp (Topple)

2. Inter-Layer Slip Test

(180 – yf – yd ≥ (90- fd)
or yd ≥ (90- yf) + fd

3. Block Alignment Test

|(af-ad)| < 10°
Ex: b = 2 m, H = 6 m
yp = 20 degrees
b/H = 0.33
Region 3: Toppling
 y1

yf
y2
S2 2

S1

1
การปรับแก ้ค่าความชน ั ของ Strike
ความลาดชน ั ให ้มีความ Slope
±20
Strike
ปลอดภัยไม่มแ ี นวโน ้มการเกิด Plane

การพังแบบ Plane Failure

yf1

yp

f
 การปรับแก ้ค่าความชน ั ของ Strike
ความลาดชน ั ให ้มีความ Slope
±20
Strike
ปลอดภัยไม่มแ ี นวโน ้มการเกิด Plane

การพังแบบ Plane Failure

yf2

yp

วิธก
ี ารคือปรับแก ้ความลาดชน ั ของ
Slope Face (yf) ให ้เท่าหรือน ้อย
กว่า ความชน ั ของ Plane (yp)
การปรับแก ้ค่าความชน ั ของ
ความลาดชน ั ให ้มีความ
ปลอดภัยไม่มแ ี นวโน ้มการเกิด
การพังแบบ Wedge Failure

yi
 การปรับแก ้ค่าความชน ั ของ
ความลาดชน ั ให ้มีความ
ปลอดภัยไม่มแ ี นวโน ้มการเกิด
การพังแบบ Wedge Failure SF’
SF

วิธก
ี ารคือปรับแก ้ความลาดชน ั ของ
Slope Face (yf) ให ้เท่าหรือน ้อยกว่า yi
ความชน ั ของ Intersection Line (yi)
 N

Example 1
Strike/Dip
Set1# 045/40
Set1# 170/70
Friction angle = 40
Road cut in N-S
and E-W
W E

S
 N

Example 1
Strike/Dip
Set1# 045/40 Strike = 45°

Set1# 170/70
Friction angle = 40
Road cut in N-S
and E-W
W E

S
 Strike = 45°
Example 1
Strike/Dip

E
Set1# 045/40
Set1# 170/70
Friction angle = 40
Road cut in N-S
and E-W

S
Example 1
Strike = 45°

Strike/Dip N E
Set1# 045/40
Set1# 170/70
Friction angle = 40
Road cut in N-S
and E-W Dip = 40°
90° 0°

W S
 Strike = 45°
Example 1
Strike/Dip

E
Set1# 045/40
Set1# 170/70
Friction angle = 40
Road cut in N-S
and E-W Dip = 40°
90° 0°

S
 N

Example 1
Strike/Dip
Set1# 045/40
Set1# 170/70
Friction angle = 40
Road cut in N-S
and E-W
W E

Strike/Dip
(45°/40°)

S
 N

Example 1
Strike/Dip
Set1# 045/40
Set1# 170/70
Friction angle = 40 Set#1
Road cut in N-S Strike/Dip
and E-W (45°/40°)

W E
Set#2
Strike/Dip
(170°/70°)

S
 N

Example 1
Strike/Dip Set#1
Set1# 045/40 Strike/Dip
(45°/40°)
Set1# 170/70
Friction angle = 40
Road cut in N-S
and E-W
W E
f = 40°

Set#2
Strike/Dip
(170°/70°)

S
 N

Example 1 Set#1
Strike/Dip

Strike/Dip (45°/40°)

Highway
Set1# 045/40
Set1# 170/70
Friction angle = 40 W E
f = 40°
Road cut in N-S
and E-W
Set#2
N Strike/Dip
(170°/70°)

N
S

W E
A B
S S

Set#2
 N

Example 1
Strike/Dip Set#1
Set1# 045/40 Strike/Dip
(45°/40°)

Highway
Set1# 170/70 yp = 45°
Friction angle = 40
Road cut in N-S
and E-W
yf = 60°
W E
f = 40°

Set#2
Strike/Dip
(170°/70°)

Slope Face B อาจไม่การวิบต ั ิ Side B Side A Slope Face A อาจไม่การวิบต

ั ิ
แบบ Plane Failure ถึงแม ้ว่า S
แบบ Plane Failure หรือ
Strike SF // Strike P แต่ Wedge Failure
่ งจาก yp > yf (ไม่ Daylight)
เนือ
 N

Set#1
Strike/Dip Example 1
Side B (45°/40°)
Strike/Dip
Set1# 045/40
Set1# 170/70
Highway Friction angle = 40
W
yf = 60° f = 40°
E
Road cut in N-S
and E-W

Set#2
Strike/Dip Side A
(170°/70°)

Joint 2
E (Intersection Line) Zone
E S
Wedge Failure
N S
W

Slope Face A ไม่มก ี ารวิบต

ั แ
ิ บบ
Side A Side B
Slope Face B ไม่มก
ี ารวิบต
ั ท
ิ ัง้
ทัง้ Plane Failure, Wedge W Plane Failure, Wedge Failure
Failure และ Toppling Failure และ Toppling Failure
Example 2

ay
hw
N
Strike/Dip

Hig
Set#1
Set1# 045/40 Strike/Dip
(45°/40°)
Set1# 170/70
Friction angle = 20
Road cut in 070 yf = 60°
Side B Side A f = 20°
W E

Critical Area

Set#2
Strike/Dip
Slope Face A ไม่มก
ี ารวิบต
ั แ
ิ บบ
(170°/70°) แบบ Plane Failure แต่อาจมีการ
S
พังแบบ Wedge Failure
Slope Face B ไม่มก ี ารวิบต
ั แ
ิ บบ Joint 2
ทัง้ Plane Failure, Wedge (Intersection Line) Zone
Failure และ Toppling Failure Wedge Failure
Example 3
A highway is planed to be constructed through a mountain that
three discontinuity set as follows (strike/dip).
Set #1 (bedding plane) 085/40
Set #2 (joint planes) 015/50
Set #3 (fault zone) 145/60
(a)Find the maximum safety angle of slopes of slope of highway
oriented N40E, assuming that the friction angle = 30 degrees.
(b)What would be the best direction of highway orientation, so
we can minimize the excavation cost while maintaining the
highway stability?
Example 4
Set1: 045/70
Set2: 090/70
Set3: 270/30
What are the maximum dip
angle of the pit slopes with strike
varies from 0 to 360 degrees
(calculate for the strike of slope
for every 10 degrees increment
from 0 to 360 degrees)?
Assuming that the friction angle
= 30 degrees.