Abstract
A soil–rock slope is a heterogeneous slope composed of soil and rocks that is widely distributed throughout the world. In order to accurately analyze the slope stability of soil–rock mixture, based on a Monte Carlo algorithm (fuzzy-based method), a symmetrical stability analyzing method for soil–rock slopes is proposed, considering the dispersion of strength of soil–rock mixtures. In analyzing it, the numerical model is symmetrical to the real soil–rock slope in geometry and material properties. In addition, the effect of rock content to slope stability was studied by this symmetrical method. The specific work of this paper is as follows: (1) The acquisition method of random number series for the Monte Carlo algorithm and the method of slope stability analysis, using the Monte Carlo method, are introduced. (2) According to in situ samples and remade samples, the strength characteristics of soil–rock mixtures were measured with different rock contents, which proved the scatter of strength of soil–rock mixtures. (3) Based on the measured strength parameters of soil–rock mixtures and the slope landslide, the reliability in analyzing results and superiority in calculating time of using the Monte Carlo method to analyze stability of soil–rock slopes are detailed. (4) The stability of soil–rock slopes with different rock content is discussed with the Monte Carlo method, and it is concluded that with the increase of rock content, the stability of a soil–rock slope decreases first and then increases, and the minimum safety factor is acquired at 20% rock content. (5) Based on a large number of calculation examples, the applied situations of the Monte Carlo method to analyze stability of soil–rock slopes are detailed according to sampling results and rock size.
Highlights
Soil–rock slopes, consisting of soil and rocks, are extremely heterogeneous slopes that are usually distributed in quaternary loose accumulation layers and mainly formed by residual weathering, landslides, flood alluvium, and so on [1,2,3]
Comparing the cohesion of soil–rock mixture with the same rock content in triaxial tests, it can be found that, with the same material and test conditions, the cohesion parameters of soil–rock mixture are not exactly the same but distributed in a certain range, and the scatter range of results increases with the increase of rock content
There are many methods for analyzing the stability of soil–rock slopes, which are mainly divided into four categories: (1) homogenized soil slope model that the material strength in slope is mainly controlled by soil; (2) homogenized soil–rock slope model that the material strength in slope is related to soil–rock mixtures; (3) a slope model considering the strengthening effect of the rocks; (4) and a slope model considering the dispersion of the strength of the soil–rock mixture
Summary
Soil–rock slopes, consisting of soil and rocks, are extremely heterogeneous slopes that are usually distributed in quaternary loose accumulation layers and mainly formed by residual weathering, landslides, flood alluvium, and so on [1,2,3]. The mixtures of soil and rocks are usually recognized as bimrocks [2,8]. It is a common slope structure (a soil–rock slope is shown in Figure 1a) and engineering material (artificial materials are shown in Figure 1b), usually viewed in the Three Gorges region of China and the west of China [9,10,11]. When constructing a highway or railway on a natural or manually filled soil–rock slope, it is necessary to evaluate the stability of the soil–rock slope to ensure the safety of the project and prevent a landslide and failure of the slope.
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