Continuous Slope Mass Rating (SMR-C): functions, analysis and spatial

application methodology

Roberto Tomás
University of Alicante
Alicante, Spain
roberto.tomas@ua.es

Slope rock failures (wedge, planar and toppling) are geological hazards inherent along much road
cuts excavated on rock. This kind of phenomena can affect traffic circulation even causing car
accidents.

Slope Mass Rating (SMR, Romana, 1985) is a very useful geomechanical classification used in rock
slope characterization. The SMR is obtained correcting basic Rock Mass Rating (Bieniawski, 1989)
using four factors that consider the geometrical relationship between the slope face and joint
affecting rock mass (F1 to F3) as well as the excavation method used (F4). SMR is obtained using
characteristic values of the rock mass employing discrete functions.

Figure 1. Continuous functions.

In this study, sigmoidal functions are proposed for SMR correction factors calculus (Figure 1):

16 3 ⎛1 ⎞
F1 = − atan ⎜ ( A − 17) ⎟
25 500 ⎝ 10 ⎠ (1)
9 1 17
F2 = + atan ( B − 5)
16 195 100 (2)
1
F3 = −30 + atanC
3 (3)
1
F3 = −13 − atan (C − 120)
7 (4)

where A is parallelism between joint (or the intersection line for wedge failure) and slope dip
direction, B is the joint dip for planar/toppling failure (plunge of intersection line for wedge failure),
and C is the relationship between slope and joint dips (toppling/ planar failure) or the plunge
(wedge failure) as was originally defined by Romana.

The proposed functions are applied to 61 slopes previously analyzed through discontinuous
classification to perform a comparative analysis (Figure 2). They allow discrimination between
slopes with a similar quality, eliminate the ambiguity resulting from their calculus and can be easily
used in program data processing routines.

Figure 2. Continuous vs discrete SMR.

The sense of sight constitutes about 70% of objects perception. As a consequence this sense can be
exploited in order to better understand the main parameters controlling SMR classification. For this
purpose, a n-vision graphical method called “Worlds Within Worlds” (Feiner and Beshers, 1990) is
used for SMR-C visualization (Figures 3 and 4). The analysis has helped us to better understand this
classification and to establish several cases where SMR calculus can be simplified.

Figure 3. Planar/wedge failure

 Figure 4.Toppling failure

Classical field characterization of rocky slopes implies the assimilation of the slope to a perfect
plane with a constant SMR index. However, the excavation of rocky slopes usually generates
surface irregularities that can change locally the orientation of the slope and as a consequence the
cinematic failure mechanism. Figure 5 summarize the proposed methodology to calculate SMR-C
for every joint set (i) considering its type of failure for every point of the slope (x,y). The result is a
SMR-C map of the slope that is very useful for the identification of the more susceptible areas to
suffer local failures and consequently that need to be stabilized using Romana’s recommendations
for SMR.
 Figure 5. GIS methodology

ƒ Romana, M. (1985). New adjustment ratings for application of Bieniawski classification to

slopes. International Symposium on the role of rock mechanics, ISRM 49-53.
ƒ Bieniawski, Z.T. (1989). Engineering Rock Mass Classification. Wiley, Chichester, 251 p.
ƒ Feiner, S. K., Beshers, C. (1990). Visualizing n-dimensional virtual worlds with n-vision. ACM
SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics 24: 37-38.