Abstract
Karst-related issues have become serious in the Three Gorges reservoir area, where the bank slopes consist of marlite. In this paper, the mineralogical and petrological properties and internal micro-structure development mechanism of the marlite were analyzed to determine its dissolution and weathering characteristics. In addition, the application of high-power electron microscopy identified micro-cracks in the marlite and micro-dissolution vugs on both sides of the micro-cracks. Montmorillonite was shown to be the dominant clay mineral accumulated at the edges of the vugs. Based on the test results of the rock mechanics and the natural dissolution processes, the concept of dissolution coefficient was proposed to describe the strength change pattern of the marlite. Next, the change pattern between the dissolution and strength weakening of the marlite was characterized with the typical four stages of rock compression and deformations. It was also shown that long-term water–rock interactions resulted in unique deformation characteristics in the slopes, while, vertically, the slope bodies could be divided into a strong dissolution zone, medium dissolution zone, and weak dissolution zone.
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