Abstract
Plagioclinal slopes in cuesta escarpments are oblique to bedding dips and widely distributed in the moutainous area of south-western China and the failure patterns are conventionally assumed to be rock fall or slab collapse, rather than rock slide. The catastrophe of the Jiweishan rockslide on 5th June 2009, illustrates a unique mechanism of plagioclinal slope failure, where the slope failure moves in the direction of apparent dip and is confined by four planes. Geological analysis concluded that the Jiweishan rockslide was a result of the weak-interlayer-controlled geological structure, underground mining and karst. Modelling tests reproduced the instant failure of key blocks in the apparent dip direction followed by block glide, and suggested that weakening of the slip surface and the discrete structure contributed to slope failure. Numerical simulation indicated that rear blocks acted on relatively stable key blocks during long-term gravitational creep on the weak interlayer. In addition, strength reduction due to karst on boundaries was a key factor in the rockslide occurrence. Ultimately, a three-dimensional limit equilibrium method of stability analysis for apparent dip slide was proposed and validation of modelling tests was conducted.
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