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Progressive failure mechanism of a large bedding slope with a strain-softening interface

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Abstract

The present work is primarily concerned with the progressive failure mechanism of a large bedding slope with a strain-softening interface. Both the laboratory tests and finite difference method (FLAC software) are employed to fulfill our purpose. Firstly, the shear properties of the interface (the mudded weak interlayer) are investigated through groups of repeated shear tests. According to the test results, all kinds of the interfaces share the characteristics of strain softening. To simulate the shear behavior of the interface in FLAC, a contact constitutive model with strain softening is built and verified against experimental results. The modified constitutive model of the interface is later applied to the numerical simulation of the bedding slope. Through investigating the response of the strain-softening contact elements to the stress characteristics among the rock layers, the chain action law of the bedding slope stability can be obtained. Finally, the progressive failure mechanism of the bedding slope is determined based on the chain action law. A typical case is investigated to validate the feasibility of the strain-softening contact element and the progressive failure mechanism of bedding slopes.

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Acknowledgements

The work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 51574201) and the State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection (Chengdu University of Technology; KLGP2015K006). Additional support was provided by the Scientific and Technical Youth Innovation Group (Southwest Petroleum University) (2015CXTD05). We thank the laboratory of Southwest Jiaotong University for providing the experiment conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, People’s Republic of China

    Q. J. Hu, R. D. Shi, L. Q. Du & L. P. He

  2. China Construction Underground Space Co., Ltd., Chengdu, 610081, People’s Republic of China

    L. N. Zheng

  3. School of Transportation and Logistics, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, People’s Republic of China

    Q. J. Cai

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  1. Q. J. Hu
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  2. R. D. Shi
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  3. L. N. Zheng
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  4. Q. J. Cai
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  5. L. Q. Du
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  6. L. P. He
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Correspondence to L. N. Zheng.

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Hu, Q.J., Shi, R.D., Zheng, L.N. et al. Progressive failure mechanism of a large bedding slope with a strain-softening interface. Bull Eng Geol Environ 77, 69–85 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-016-0996-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-016-0996-x

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