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Failure analysis of rock cut slope formed by layered blocks at Fort Munro, Pakistan

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Abstract

Block failure is a common type of uncertainty in blocky and layered rock slopes. One of the most critical types of block failure is a slide of slope top flexural toppling. In the current research, such kind of block failure is studied through numerical modeling. For this purpose, extensive field investigations and laboratory tests were conducted to determine the structural geology and strength parameters. Block theory was used within the network of geotechnical structure and model analysis (GeoSMA-3D) tool to identify the key sliding blocks. Strength reduction method (SRM) was selected in finite difference computer program FLAC3D to examine the failure mechanism of whole cut slope. The volume of sliding blocks, block sliding faces, horizontal displacement, and corresponding safety factor (FS) were evaluated by using software. The results indicated that cut slope is unstable and partial block-flexural failure can occur at the upper part of the slope. The results suggested that the deformation of upper layers of cut slope was more as compared with that of the lower layers. The findings of the present study can be used to take operative safety treatment of the layered cut slope in Pakistan.

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Funding

This work was conducted with supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U1602232 and 51474050), Doctoral Scientific Research Foundation of Liaoning Province (Grant Nos. 20170540304 and 20170520341), China Scholarship Council (Grant No. 201806080103), Key Research and Development Program of Science and Technology in Liaoning Province, China (Grant No. 2019JH2/10100035), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. N170108029).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resource and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China

    Zulkifl Ahmed, Shuhong Wang, Chengjin Zhu, Zhang Zishan, Alipujiang Jierula & Wang Pengyu

  2. Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Zaffar Hashmi

Authors
  1. Zulkifl Ahmed
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  2. Shuhong Wang
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  3. Muhammad Zaffar Hashmi
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  4. Chengjin Zhu
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  5. Zhang Zishan
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  6. Alipujiang Jierula
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  7. Wang Pengyu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Zulkifl Ahmed or Shuhong Wang.

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Responsible Editor: Zhen-Dong Cui

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Ahmed, Z., Wang, S., Hashmi, M.Z. et al. Failure analysis of rock cut slope formed by layered blocks at Fort Munro, Pakistan. Arab J Geosci 13, 338 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05347-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05347-1

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