Abstract
The stability of high rock slopes is largely controlled by the location and orientation of geological features, such as faults, folds, joints, and bedding planes, which can induce structurally controlled slope instability. Under certain conditions, slope kinematics may vary with time, as propagation of existing fractures due to brittle failure may allow development of fully persistent release surfaces. In this paper, the progressive accumulation of brittle damage that occurred prior to and during the 2014 San Leo landslide (northern Italy) is investigated using a synthetic rock mass (SRM) approach. Mapping of brittle fractures, rock bridge failures, and major structures is undertaken using terrestrial laser scanning, photogrammetry, and high-resolution photography. Numerical analyses are conducted to investigate the role of intact rock fracturing on the evolution of kinematic freedom using the two-dimensional Finite-discrete element method (FDEM) code Elfen, and the three-dimensional lattice-spring scheme code Slope Model. Numerical analyses show that the gradual erosion of clay-rich material below the base of the plateau drives the brittle propagation of fractures within the rock mass, until a fully persistent, subvertical rupture surface form, causing toppling of fault-bounded rock columns. This study clearly highlights the potential role of intact rock fracturing on the slope kinematics, and the interaction between intact rock strength, structural geology, and slope morphology.
Highlights
The stability of rock slopes is largely controlled by the location and orientation of geological features such as faults, shear zones, bedding, foliation, and discontinuities [1,2]
Itatisthe clear that a kinematic analysis in Figure can be hypothesized that failures occurring edge of the plateau may decrease conducted considering the first-order geological structures observed in the pre- and postfailure slope the rock mass quality of the remaining slope, promoting further eventual retrogression of the rock slope instability
Kinematics represents one of the most important factors controlling the stability of rock slopes
Summary
The stability of rock slopes is largely controlled by the location and orientation of geological features such as faults, shear zones, bedding, foliation, and discontinuities [1,2]. The intersection of these features may allow the removability and the failure of rock mass blocks at various scales. Many major rockslides have been controlled by the orientation of geological features [3,4] Geomorphic features, such as gullies and crevices, may reduce lateral constraint in potentially unstable slopes, enhancing their kinematic freedom [5,6,7]. The kinematics of a rock slope may evolve over time due to brittle damage accumulation and fracture propagation. Time-dependent mechanisms, such as subcritical fracture propagation, may cause the formation of fully persistent rupture surfaces that
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