SPH Simulation on the Coupled Failure of Slope-Building Adjacent to Water Triggered by the Rapid Drawdown of Water Level

Abstract

With the development of economy, more and more buildings are constructed on both sides of rivers. The rapid drawdown of water level may induce the change of groundwater seepage in the river bank, thus affecting the stability of buildings on the bank. In this study, the right bank of Qinhuai river with its ancillary building from the Dinghuai Gate to the Qingliang Gate in Nanjing City is analyzed to reveal the failure mechanism and coupled failure mode of slope and building adjacent to water. The soil-water coupled SPH program considering the interaction between soil and structure has been proposed. Then this model is used to study the evolutionary deformation mechanism of slope and building under the rapid drawdown of water level. The results indicate that the potential slip surface of slope and the asymmetrical distribution of plastic zone in the foundation of building become more obvious under the rapid drawdown of water level. Besides, the differential settlement of building induced by the rapid drawdown causes the building tilt. When the sliding surface of the slope passes the building, the differential settlement will become larger. This study is conducive to reveal the coupled failure mechanism of slope and building and also to provide scientific basis for the prevention of such disasters.