Study of Deformation and Fault Mechanisms in Bedding-Locked Rock Slope

Abstract

In geotechnical engineering, a bedding slope often leads to geological disasters, particularly in the case of bedding-locked rock slopes. This study focuses on a typical bedding-locked rock slope in western Henan Province, China. The deformation and fault characteristics were examined through the development of laboratory analogue experiments which allowed for the analysis of the physical and mechanical properties of the rock slope when subjected to a load. The deformation and faulting mechanisms of the slope were studied through the application of different strength loads to the slope model, as well as through the combination of its physical properties. The deformation and fault process were then simulated through the application of numerical modeling. The results reveal that the upper part of the slope features a linear slip surface, while the lower part features a circular arc slip surface, resulting in “linear + circular arc” damage geometry and a relatively flat shear surface. Maximum and minimum lateral displacement occur around the top and the foot of the slope, respectively, leaving the intermediate values at the middle. The shear strength is greater at the locking section, with the highest value found at the foot of the slope, followed by the middle and the top. The evolution of slope deformation can be divided into three stages: the loose deformation stage at the slope top and back; the stage of crack development, extension, and interlayer misalignment; and the stage of complete through crack formation and complete instability damage of the slope. Thus, the process of the deformation and damage of a rocky slope under loading conditions can be described as follows: load-induced loosening and deformation at the top and back of the slope, crack development, expansion, and interlayer misalignment, as well as tension crack expansion at the foot of the slope. The latter can expand and intensify interlayer misalignment, leading to the destruction of the locking section and ultimately causing the destabilization of the entire slope.