Evolution model and failure mechanisms of rainfall-induced cracked red clay slopes:insights from Xinshao County,China

Red clay landslides are widely distributed worldwide,resulting in severe loss of life and property.Although rainfall-induced red clay slopes have received extensive attention,the role of cracks in the evolutionary process of red clay slopes and their connection to failure mechanisms is still poorly understood.A comprehensive approach integrating field investigation,laboratory tests,and numerical simulations was conducted to study the 168 red clay landslides in Xinshao County,China.The results show that red clay is prone to forming cracks at high moisture content due to its low swelling and high shrinkage properties.The failure mode of red clay slopes can be summarized in three stages:crack generation,slope excavation,and slope failure.Furthermore,the retrospective analysis and numerical simulations of the typical landslide in Guanchong indicated that intense rainfall primarily impacts the shallow layer of soil within approximately 0.5 m on the intact slope.However,cracks change the pattern of rainfall infiltration in the slope.Rainwater infiltrates rapidly through the preferential channels induced by the cracks rather than uniformly and slowly from the slope surface.This results in a significant increase in both the depth of infiltration and the saturated zone area of the cracked slope,reaching 3.8 m and 36.2 m^(2),respectively.Consequently,the factor of safety of the slope decreases by 13.4%compared to the intact slope,ultimately triggering landslides.This study can provide valuable insights into understanding the failure mechanisms of red clay slopes in China and other regions with similar geological settings.

Probabilistic back-analysis of rainfall-induced landslides for slope reliability prediction with multi-source information

Probabilistic back-analysis is an important means to infer the statistics of uncertain soil parameters,making the slope reliability assessment closer to the engineering reality.However,multi-source information(including test data,monitored data,field observation and slope survival records)is rarely used in current probabilistic back-analysis.Conducting the probabilistic back-analysis of spatially varying soil parameters and slope reliability prediction under rainfalls by integrating multi-source information is a challenging task since thousands of random variables and high-dimensional likelihood function are usually involved.In this paper,a framework by integrating a modified Bayesian Updating with Subset simulation(mBUS)method with adaptive Conditional Sampling(aCS)algorithm is established for the probabilistic back-analysis of spatially varying soil parameters and slope reliability prediction.Within this framework,the high-dimensional probabilistic back-analysis problem can be easily tackled,and the multi-source information(e.g.monitored pressure heads and slope survival records)can be fully used in the back-analysis.A real Taoyuan landslide case in Taiwan,China is investigated to illustrate the effectiveness and performance of the established framework.The findings show that the posterior knowledge of soil parameters obtained from the established framework is in good agreement with the field observations.Furthermore,the updated knowledge of soil parameters can be utilized to reliably predict the occurrence probability of a landslide caused by the heavy rainfall event on September 12,2004 or forecast the potential landslides under future rainfalls in the Fuhsing District of Taoyuan City,Taiwan,China.

Dynamic response and failure process of horizontal-layered fractured structure rock slope under strong earthquake

Rock slope with horizontal-layered fractured structure(HLFS)has high stability in its natural state.However,a strong earthquake can induce rock fissure expansion,ultimately leading to slope failure.In this study,the dynamic response,failure mode,and spectral characteristics of rock slope with HLFS under strong earthquake conditions were investigated based on the large-scale shaking table model test.On this basis,multiple sets of numerical calculation models were further established by UDEC discrete element program.Five influencing factors were considered in the parametric study of numerical simulations,including slope height,slope angle,bedding-plane spacing and secondary joint spacing as well as bedrock dip angle.The results showed that the failure process of rock slope with HLFS under earthquake action is mainly divided into four phases,i.e.,the tensile crack of the slope shoulder joints and shear dislocation at the top bedding plane,the extension of vertical joint cracks and increase of shear displacement,the formation of step-through sliding surfaces and the instability,and finally collapse of fractured rock mass.The acceleration response of slopes exhibits elevation amplification effect and surface effect.Numerical simulations indicate that the seismic stability of slopes with HLFS exhibits a negative correlation with slope height and angle,but a positive correlation with bedding-plane spacing,joint spacing,and bedrock dip angle.The results of this study can provide a reference for seismic stability evaluation of weathered rock slopes.

Stability analysis of intermittently jointed rock slopes based on the stepped failure mode

In practical engineering,due to the noncontinuity characteristics of joints in rock slopes,in addition to plane failure,stepped sliding failure may occur for intermittently jointed rock slopes.Especially for intermittently bedding jointed rock slopes,the correlation and difference in strength parameters between joints and rock bridges,along with the various failure modes and intermittency of rock bridges,contribute to the complexity of stepped failure modes and the unpredictability of failure regions.Based on the upper-bound limit analysis method and multi-sliders step-path failure mode,considering the shear and tensile failure of rock bridges and the weakened relationship between the strength parameters of rock bridges and jointed surfaces,by introducing the modified M-C failure criterion and the formula for calculating the energy consumption of tensile failure of rock bridges,two failure mechanisms are constructed to obtain the safety factor(F_(s))of intermittently jointed rock slopes.The sequential quadratic programming method is used to obtain the optimal upper-bound solution for F_(s).The influence of multiple key parameters(slope height H,horizontal distance L,Slope angleβ,shear strength parameters of the rock bridgeφr and cr,Dimensionless parameter u,weakening coefficients of the internal friction angle and cohesion between the rock bridges and joint surfaces Kφand Kc)on the stability analysis of intermittently jointed rock slopes under the shear failure mode of rock bridges as well as under the tensile failure mode is also explored.The reliability of the failure mechanisms is verified by comparative analysis with theoretical results,numerical results,and landslide cases,and the variation rules of F_(s)with each key parameter are obtained.The results show that F_(s) varies linearly withφr and cr of the rock bridge and with K_(φ)and K_(c),whereas F_(s)changes nonlinearly with H and L.In particular,with the increase in Kφand Kc,Fs increases by approximately 52.78%and 171.02%on average,respectively.For rock bridge tensile failure,F_(s) shows a nonlinearly positive correlation withφr,cr,Kφand Kc.In particular,with the increase in Kφand Kc,Fs increases by approximately 13%and 61.69%on average,respectively.Fs decreases rapidly with increasing slope gradientβand decreasing dimensionless parameterμ.When Kφand Kc are both less than 1.0,the stepped sliding surface occurs more easily than the plane failure surface,especially in the case of tensile failure of the rock bridge.In addition,rock slopes with higher strength parameters,taller heights,and greater weakening coefficients are prone to rock bridge tension failure with lower Fs,and more attention should be given to the occurrence of such accidents in actual engineering.

Examination of Rainfall-Induced Landslide Failure Mechanisms via a Centrifuge Physical Simulation Test

Rainfall is one of the most important factors contributing to landslides, and gentle bedding incline, high-rainfall induced landslides are common throughout the world. Field observations and theoretical analyses have been used to assess slope instability caused by permeability variation. In this study, the influence of rainfall infiltration on gentle bedding incline slope behaviour was investigated using a centrifuge physical simulation test. The magnitude, pattern and development of pore water and earth pressure at the interface;the shear failure surface features;and the corresponding deformation and failure processes were considered. A model with interbedded sand and mud was created, and a centrifuge was used to simulate both natural and rainfall conditions. The weak intercalation was composed of single-material silty clay, and the landslide mass was composed of red-bed sandstone. A combination of photography, pore water pressure measurements and earth pressure measurements were used to examine the relationship between the pore water pressure, earth pressure and failure modes. When the slope experiences overall instability, the curves of the earth pressure and pore water pressure dramatically decrease. The results reveal that the failure shear surface largely depends on the differential creep caused by the properties of the rock mass and the rainfall infiltration.

Failure analysis on a heavy rainfall-induced landslide in Huay Khab Mountain in Northern Thailand

On 28 th July 2018,a massive landslide occurred in a mountainous area in Northern Thailand.The landslide after ten days of heavy rainfall generated the movement of uphill mountain soil into the populated village.This study presents a comprehensive failure analysis of local rainfallinduced landslides based on topographical and geological information.Rainfall measurement data were gathered from two rainfall stations close to the study area.The rainfall records show that the total monthly rainfalls in 2018 were significantly higher than the average monthly rainfalls over the past decade.Site investigation started with an unmanned aerial photogrammetric survey to generate a digital elevation model.Then,dynamic probing test,microtremor survey,and electrical resistivity survey were carried out along undisturbed soils beside the failed slope to evaluate the thickness of the soft soil cover on top of the rock basement.During the site survey,residual soil samples were collected to determine engineering properties in the laboratory.Finally,a slope stability analysis was performed to assess the landslide hazard based on the results of aerial photogrammetric survey,field exploration,and laboratory tests.The slope stability analysis and rainfall records revealed that the Huay Khab landslide was mainly caused by an increase in the water content of residual soils due to the prolonged rainfall which led to a sharp decrease in the shear strength.This leads to the conclusion that the proposed landslide investigation program could be used to assess the potential of landslide failure due to prolonged rainfall on a local scale.

Simulation analysis on three-dimensional slope failure under different conditions

The failure mechanism of two-dimensional（2D） and three-dimensional（3D） slopes were investigated by using the strength reduction method.An extensive study of 3D effect was conducted with respect to boundary conditions,shear strength and concentrated surcharge load.The results obtained by 2D and 3D analyses were compared and the applicable scope of 2D and 3D method was analyzed.The results of the numerical simulation show that 3D effect is sensitive to the width of slip surface.As for slopes with specific geometry,3D effect is influenced by dimensionless parameter c/（γHtanφ）.For those infinite slopes with local loading,external load has the major impact on failure mode.For those slopes with local loading and geometric constraints,the failure mode is influenced by both factors.With the increase of loading length,boundary condition exerts a more significant impact on the failure mode,and then 2D and 3D stability charts are developed,which provides a rapid and reliable way to calculate 2D and 3D factor of safety without iteration.Finally,a simple and practical calculation procedure based on the study of 3D effect and stability charts is proposed to recognize the right time to apply 2D or 3D method.

Slope reliability and back analysis of failure with geotechnical parameters estimated using Bayesian inference

A Bayesian approach is proposed for the inference of the geotechnical parameters used in slope design.The methodology involves the construction of posterior probability distributions that combine prior information on the parameter values with typical data from laboratory tests and site investigations used in design.The posterior distributions are often complex,multidimensional functions whose analysis requires the use of Markov chain Monte Carlo(MCMC)methods.These procedures are used to draw representative samples of the parameters investigated,providing information on their best estimate values,variability and correlations.The paper describes the methodology to define the posterior distributions of the input parameters for slope design and the use of these results for evaluation of the reliability of a slope with the first order reliability method(FORM).The reliability analysis corresponds to a forward stability analysis of the slope where the factor of safety(FS)is calculated with a surrogate model from the more likely values of the input parameters.The Bayesian model is also used to update the estimation of the input parameters based on the back analysis of slope failure.In this case,the condition FS?1 is treated as a data point that is compared with the model prediction of FS.The analysis requires a sufficient number of observations of failure to outbalance the effect of the initial input parameters.The parameters are updated according to their uncertainty,which is determined by the amount of data supporting them.The methodology is illustrated with an example of a rock slope characterised with a Hoek-Brown rock mass strength.The example is used to highlight the advantages of using Bayesian methods for the slope reliability analysis and to show the effects of data support on the results of the updating process from back analysis of failure.

Failure behavior of soil-rock mixture slopes based on centrifuge model test

The stability of soil-rock mixtures(SRMs) that widely distributed in slopes is of significant concern for slope safety evaluation and disaster prevention. The failure behavior of SRM slopes under surface loading conditions was investigated through a series of centrifuge model tests considering various volumetric gravel contents. The displacement field of the slope was determined with image-based displacement system to observe the deformation of the soil and the movement of the block during loading in the tests. The test results showed that the ultimate bearing capacity and the stiffness of SRM slopes increased evidently when the volumetric block content exceeded a threshold value. Moreover, there were more evident slips around the blocks in the SRM slope. The microscopic analysis of the block motion showed that the rotation of the blocks could aggravate the deformation localization to facilitate the development of the slip surface. The high correlation between the rotation of the key blocks and the slope failure indicated that the blocks became the dominant load-bearing medium that influenced the slope failure. The blocks in the sliding body formed a chain to bear the load and change the displacement distribution of the adjacent matrix sand through the block rotation.

Human-induced landslide on a high cut slope: a case of repeated failures due to multi-excavation

The paper attempts to represent a case of repeated failures on a high cut slope due to multi-excavation. The characteristics of each failure induced by excavation are analyzed through geological investigation, and then a geological model at different failure stages is proposed. The geological analysis shows that the excavation-induced repeated failures are related to the exposure of the weak bedding plane and the toe unloading of the cut slope, Numerical modeling is conducted based on a sequential method, taking into account the main failure stages of cut slope. The simulation results fairly coincide with the practical phenomena observed in field. It is shown that the decrease in normal stress of displaced mass on cut slope will induce the increase in shear stress in bedding planes and that at the toe of the cut slope. The released stress leads to repeated gravitational instabilities of cut slope due to the decrease in normal stress and the increase in shear stress along the bedding planes of mudstone.

Upper bound analysis of slope stability with nonlinear failure criterion based on strength reduction technique

Based on the upper bound limit analysis theorem and the shear strength reduction technique, the equation for expressing critical limit-equilibrium state was employed to define the safety factor of a given slope and its corresponding critical failure mechanism by means of the kinematical approach of limit analysis theory. The nonlinear shear strength parameters were treated as variable parameters and a kinematically admissible failure mechanism was considered for calculation schemes. The iterative optimization method was adopted to obtain the safety factors. Case study and comparative analysis show that solutions presented here agree with available predictions when nonlinear criterion reduces to linear criterion, and the validity of present method could be illuminated. From the numerical results, it can also be seen that nonlinear parameter rn, slope foot gradient ,β, height of slope H, slope top gradient a and soil bulk density γ have significant effects on the safety factor of the slope.

Seismic failure mechanisms for loaded slopes with associated and nonassociated flow rules

Seismic failure mechanisms were investigated for soil slopes subjected to strip load with upper bound method of limit analysis and finite difference method of numerical simulation,considering the influence of associated and nonassociated flow rules.Quasi-static representation of soil inertia effects using a seismic coefficient concept was adopted for seismic failure analysis.Numerical study was conducted to investigate the influences of dilative angle and earthquake on the seismic failure mechanisms for the loaded slope,and the failure mechanisms for different dilation angles were compared.The results show that dilation angle has influences on the seismic failure surfaces,that seismic maximum displacement vector decreases as the dilation angle increases,and that seismic maximum shear strain rate decreases as the dilation angle increases.

Failure mode and dynamic response of a double-sided slope with high water content of soil

A double-sided slope with high water content in sandy clay was considered under the action of seismic load. Its failure mode and dynamic response were investigated using a hydraulic servo shaking table test. The typical characteristic of failure mode and dynamic responses of the double-sided slope were analyzed. Experimental results show that slope failure undergoes a process of progressive deformation. The slope failure mode can be explained as creep sliding landslide. AFA(Amplification Factor of Acceleration) at the surface and inner parts of the slope shows an increasing trend with the increase of relative elevation. The relationship between AFA and EAA(Excitation Amplitude of Acceleration) is nonlinear. An empirical formula is proposed to describe preferably the relationship between AFA,relative elevation and dimensionless EAA. The AFA at the middle and upper parts of the slope increases apparently with increasing EFA(Excitation Frequency of Acceleration).

Large deformation and failure mechanism analyses of Tangba high slope with a high-intensity and complex excavation process

The Tangba high slope is mainly composed of coarse soils and supplies core wall materials for the construction of the Changheba dam. Since the filling intensity of the Changheba dam is high, the Tangba high slope suffers from a high-intensity excavation process, and reinforcement measures are usually not implemented immediately. Moreover, the distribution of useful materials is uneven and insufficient, and the mixing of different soil materials is necessary; thus, multiple simultaneous excavations and secondary excavation are inevitable. In the construction period from 2012 to 2016, large deformations occurred in this area, and one of the largest monitored horizontal deformations whose direction points to the opposite side of the valley even reached more than 8000 mm. According to field investigation, site monitoring and theoretical analysis, the large deformation in the Tangba high slope can be divided into two phases. In the first phase, the excavation construction breaks the original stress equilibrium state; in the second phase, the precipitation infiltration accelerates the deformation. Thus, the excavation construction and precipitation infiltration are the two major factors promoting the deformation, and the high-intensity and complex excavation process is the fundamental cause. Notably, rate of slope deformation significantly accelerated in rainy seasons due to precipitation infiltration; the rate also accelerated in early 2016 due to the high-intensity, complex excavation process. Comprehensively considering the above factors, timely and effective reinforcement measures are essential.

Validation of Hoek-Brown failure criterion charts for rock slopes

Although stability charts suggested by Hoek and Bray on the basis of Mohr-Coulomb criterion are used for rock slopes,but complete and precise recognition is required for distinguishing cohesive strength and Mohr-Coulomb equivalent internal friction angle for rock mass.The paper by Lia et al.[6]is the only one that introduced rock slope charts according to Hoek-Brown failure criterion.In this paper,at first,this type of charts is introduced.Then,Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion charts[2]are compared and validated with Hoek-Brown failure criterion ones[6].Next,Bishop method utilizing Slide software is compared with Hoek-Brown failure criterion stability charts.Average standard deviation(ASD),root mean square error(RMSE)and variance account for(VAF)were used for the comparison.According to the results,because of high distribution and very low correlation among the comparisons,Hoek-Brown failure criterion charts are not efficient.

A two-dimensional limit equilibrium computer code for analysis of complex toppling slope failures

Evaluation of blocky or layered rock slopes against toppling failures has remained of great concern for engineers in various rock mechanics projects.Several step-by-step analytical solutions have been developed for analyzing these types of slope failures.However,manual application of these analytical solutions for real case studies can be time-consuming,complicated,and in certain cases even impossible.This study will first examine existing methods for toppling failure analyses that are reviewed,modified and generalized to consider the effects of a wide range of external and dead loads on slope stability.Next,based on the generalized presented formulae,a Windows form computer code is programmed using Visual C#for analysis of common types of toppling failures.Input parameters,including slope geometry,joint sets parameters,rock and soil properties,ground water level,dynamic loads,support anchor loads as well as magnitudes and forms of external forces,are first loaded into the code.The input data are then saved and used to graphically draw the slope model.This is followed by automatic identification of the toppling failure mode and a deterministic analysis of the slope stability against this failure mode.The results are presented using a graphical approach.The developed code allows probabilistic introduction of the input parameters via probability distribution functions(PDFs)and thus a probabilistic analysis of the toppling failure modes using Monte-Carlo simulation technique.This allows calculation of the probability of slope failure.Finally,several published case studies and typical examples are analyzed with the developed code.The outcomes are compared with those of the main references to assess the performance and robustness of the developed computer code.The comparisons demonstrate good agreement between the results.

Deformation and failure mechanism of Yanjiao rock slope influenced by rainfall and water level fluctuation of the Xiluodu hydropower station reservoir

With the construction of the Xiluodu hydropower station on the Jinsha River,the reservoir impoundment began in 2013 and the water level fluctuates annually between 540 m and 600 m above sea level.The Yanjiao rock slope which is located on the left bank of the Jinsha River 75 km upstream of the Xiluodu dam site,began to deform in 2014.The potential failure of the slope not only threatens Yanjiao town but also affects the safe operation of the Xiluodu reservoir.This paper is to find the factors influencing the Yanjiao slope deformation through field investigation,geotechnical reconnaissance,and monitoring.Results show that the Yanjiao slope can be divided into a bank collapse area(BCA)and a strong deformation area(SDA)based on the crack distribution characteristics of the slope.The rear area of the slope has been experiencing persistent deformation with a maximum cumulative displacement(GPS monitoring point G4)of 505 mm and 399 mm in the horizontal and vertical directions,respectively.The potential failure surface of the slope is formed 36 m below the surface based on the borehole inclinometer.The bank collapses of the Yanjiao slope are directly caused by the reservoir impoundment while the deformation area of the slope is affected by the combination of the rainfall and reservoir water level fluctuation.Based on mechanism of the Yanjiao slope,prestressed anchor combined with the surface drainage and slope unloading are recommended to prevent potential deformation.

Experimental study on seismic response and progressive failure characteristics of bedding rock slopes

Bedding rock slopes are common geological features in nature that are prone to failure under strong earthquakes. Their failures induce catastrophic landslides and form barrier lakes, posing severe threats to people’s lives and property. Based on the similarity criteria, a bedding rock slope model with a length of3 m, a width of 0.8 m, and a height of 1.6 m was constructed to facilitate large-scale shaking table tests.The results showed that with the increase of vibration time, the natural frequency of the model slope decreased, but the damping ratio increased. Damage to the rock mass structure altered the dynamic characteristics of the slope;therefore, amplification of the acceleration was found to be nonlinear and uneven. Furthermore, the acceleration was amplified nonlinearly with the increase of slope elevation along the slope surface and the vertical section, and the maximum acceleration amplification factor(AAF) occurred at the slope crest. Before visible deformation, the AAF increased with increasing shaking intensity;however, it decreased with increasing shaking intensity after obvious deformation. The slope was likely to slide along the bedding planes at a shallow depth below the slope surface. The upper part of the slope mainly experienced a tensile-shear effect, whereas the lower part suffered a compressive-shear force. The progressive failure process of the model slope can be divided into four stages, and the dislocated rock mass can be summarized into three zones. The testing data provide a good explanation of the dynamic behavior of the rock slope when subjected to an earthquake and may serve as a helpful reference in implementing antiseismic measures for earthquake-induced landslides.

Bayesian machine learning-based method for prediction of slope failure time

The data-driven phenomenological models based on deformation measurements have been widely utilized to predict the slope failure time(SFT).The observational and model uncertainties could lead the predicted SFT calculated from the phenomenological models to deviate from the actual SFT.Currently,very limited study has been conducted on how to evaluate the effect of such uncertainties on SFT prediction.In this paper,a comprehensive slope failure database was compiled.A Bayesian machine learning(BML)-based method was developed to learn the model and observational uncertainties involved in SFT prediction,through which the probabilistic distribution of the SFT can be obtained.This method was illustrated in detail with an example.Verification studies show that the BML-based method is superior to the traditional inverse velocity method(INVM)and the maximum likelihood method for predicting SFT.The proposed method in this study provides an effective tool for SFT prediction.

Finite element analysis of steep excavation slope failure by CFS theory

The distribution of Coulomb failure stress （CFS） change in the steep excavation slope is calculated by finite element method in this paper, and the failure mechanics under different conditions have been investigated. Comparing the CFSs before and after the slope excavation （stress loading and unloading processes）, the dangerous internal zone and the most likely failure external area are attained. Given the shear cracks on the top surface while tensile stress or cracks along the toe of the slope, we analyze the high cutting-angle steep slope in Kaixian county of the Three Gorges Reservoir region. We bring forward that the peak value of CFS after excavation can reach to the order of 0.1 MPa, which is greatly higher than that of before. Our preliminary results are useful for optimizing the reinforcement structure during the steep slope stabilization engineering.