Rock Slope Engineering

Chapter: two

Bharat Bahadur Dhakal

Lecture slide : Chapter Two
Kathford Engineering College; Balkumari
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 Sindhupalchowk 2020
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 Methods of Rock Slope Analysis
If the forces available to resist movement are greater than the forces driving movement,
the slope is considered stable. A factor of safety is calculated by dividing the forces
resisting movement by the forces driving movement. In earthquake-prone areas, the
analysis is typically run for static conditions and pseudo-static conditions, where the
seismic forces from an earthquake are assumed to add static loads to the analysis.

• Empirical Method
• Limit Equilibrium
• Kinematic Analysis
• Probabilistic Method Krishna Bhir

• Numerical Modeling

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Sunkoshi River blockage
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Slope stability analysis :
 Slope stability analysis is performed
to assess the safe design of a human-made
or natural slopes (e.g. embankments, Mangal Aiyer in ward no. 7 of Puchaurdi
municipality was buried in a landslide.
road cuts, open-pit mining, excavations,
landfills etc.) and the equilibrium conditions.
 Slope stability is the resistance of inclined surface to failure
by sliding or collapsing.
 Stability analyses are routinely performed in order to assess the safe and
functional design of an excavated slope (e.g. open pit mining, road cuts,
etc.), and/or the equilibrium conditions of a natural slope. The analysis
technique chosen depends on both site conditions and the potential
mode of failure, with careful consideration being given to the varying
strengths, weaknesses and limitations inherent in each methodology. .

Bharat Bahadur Dhakal (Lecture slide)

The engineer today is presented with a vast range of
methods for the stability analysis of rock and mixed rock-
soil slopes; these range from simple infinite slope and
planar failure limit equilibrium techniques to sophisticated
coupled finite-/distinct element codes. It is less than 25
years since most rock slope stability calculations were
performed either graphically or using a hand-held
calculator, the exception being advanced analyses
involving critical surface searching routines performed on a
mainframe computer and Fortran cards. The great
majority of early stability analysis programs were in-house
with very little software being available commercially.
Today, every engineer has access to a personal computer
that can undertake with relative ease complex numerical
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analyses of rock slopes.
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Seven people, including three children, lost their lives due to landslides in Sarangkot and Hemja areas of Pokhara city in Kaski district.
In South Africa the Palabora also has processing facilities on site for the production of purified copper from mined copper ore,
and a vermiculite recovery plant. Its final copper product has two forms namely, copper cathode and copper rod.
PMC's open cast mine is Africa's widest man-made hole at almost 2,000 m (6,600 ft) wide.

Bharat Bahadur Dhakal

 1. Empirical Method
• We live in the era of numerical models.
• In the field of rock mechanics, sophisticated criteria and
systems for the modeling of rock masses and their interaction
with structures have been enormously developed in the last 20
years.
• Although these models, in most cases, can faithfully model
reality and provide great insight to expected rock mass
behavior and the interaction between rock masses and
structures, they require very detailed input parameters,
topographic and geological models, and often a great deal of
computer software skill and time.
• In many preliminary stages of large projects, supervision of
excavation works and even in all small – low budget works or
mines, the numerical approach is in many cases unfeasible in
the timeframe required. Bharat Bahadur Dhakal
 1. Empirical Method
Empirical methods for
stability analysis are closely
linked to rock mass
classifications (RMR, Q-
system, SMR, Q-slope etc).
The empirical approaches
are based on the
retrospective back analyses
of many historical cases
where the stability of an
There is a beauty and peacefulness around the landslide site, and
excavations, underground or it belies the violence that killed 156 people on the banks of Nepal’s
Sunkoshi River recently. A mud-brown gash several hundred
slopes have been assessed metres long mars the otherwise lush green terraced rice paddies
covering the steep slopes on the other side of the river.
(Jordá et al. 2016; Jordá
2017).
Bharat Bahadur Dhakal
 1. Empirical Method
1. SLOPE MASS RATING (SMR) The The SMR value is calculated using the
SMR geomechanical classification expression (Romana, 1985):
SMR = RMRb + (F1 × F2 × F3) + F4
derives from the basic RMR Where F1 depends on the parallelism
(RMRb) (Bieniawski, 1989) and between the dip directions of the
uses four adjustment factors that discontinuities (αj) and the slope (αs),
F2 depends on the joint dip (βj),
depend on the geometric F3 depends on the relationship between
relationship between the relative the slope angle (βs) and the
orientations between the discontinuities (βj) dips and
F4 is an adjustment factor which depends
discontinuities and the slope on the excavation method employed.
studied, as well as the excavation For a detailed description of each of these factors, the reader
is referred to Romana (1985, 1993) and Romana et al (2015).
method. The Slope Mass Rating
index is a comprehensive and Note: Slope mass rating has been used
widely used rock mass for over 30 years and provides valuable
insight into anticipated slope behavior
classification for civil engineering
rock slopes (Romana et al. 2015).
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 1. Empirical Method
2. Q-SLOPE: Q-slope is an empirical rock slope
engineering method for assessing the stability of
excavated rock slopes in the field and is intended for
road and railway cuttings or in open mines (Barton &
Bar, 2015). It is derived from the Q-system which has
been used globally for the characterization of rock
exposures, drill core and tunnels under construction
for over 40 years (Barton et al. 1974; Barton &
Grimstad 2014). The Q’ parameters (RQD, Jn, Jr, and For a detailed description of each of these factors, the
reader is referred to Bar & Barton (2017).
Ja) remain unchanged in Q-slope; however, a new
method for applying Jr/Ja ratios to both sides of Q-slope is based on over 400 case
potential wedges may be used along with relative studies and provides guidance for
orientation weightings for each side. Also, new the selection of reinforcement-free,
parameters Jwice and slope relevant strength long-term stable slope angles.
reduction factors are applied for long-term exposure
to various conditions. Q-slope is calculated using the
expression:

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 1. Empirical Method
Empirical method is a qualitative method of analysis guided
by past experience (CASE STUDY EXAMPLES )

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2. Deterministic Method / Limit equilibrium analysis

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 2. Deterministic Method
The most commonly applied analytical technique used in
geotechnical analysis is Limit – equilibrium, whereby force
equilibrium conditions are examined on the basis of statics.

The typical output from the limit

equilibrium analysis is “Factor of
safety”:

Factor of Safety

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2. Deterministic Method

The analysis consists of the following three steps:

1. Definition of potential stability problem

(Primary stability mechanism)

2. Quantification of input parameters

3. Calculation of safety factors

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1. Definition of potential stability Problem
• Since the majority of slides occur along discontinuities, mapping
of discontinuities plays key role to define potential stability
problem

• Stereographic projections is one convenient method to

represent and study of geometry of slope and geological
structures

• Wherever definite planes of weakness are present, following

modes of failure have been adopted
1. Plane Failure
2. Wedge Failure
3. Toppling

• Rock slopes with heavily fractured rock mass have been analyzed
by adopting circular Failure
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 2. Quantification of Input parameters
Main input parameters of Limit – equilibrium analysis are:

• Geometry (Site characterization)

• Friction Parameters (c and φ)

• Groundwater condition (Pore pressure distribution)

• Earthquake Loading (α)

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 3. Calculation of safety factor
Failures on the rock slopes
are mainly in the form of

• Plane Failure
• Wedge Failure
• Toppling Failure
• Circular Failure

The simple approach for

most problems of rock
slopes can be discussed as
following

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Plane Failure

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Plane failure analysis:
The slope geometries and ground water
conditions considered in this analysis are
defined in Figure, which shows two
geometries as follows:
(a) slopes having a tension crack in the
upper surface; and
(b) slopes with a tension crack in the face.

Assumptions :
• Strike of sliding plane and
slope are parallel
• No end restrains are present
• Rock mass is impermeable
• The sliding block is rigid
• Shear strength of sliding
plane is given by Mohr
Coulomb criteria
• All the forces passes through
centroid of the sliding block

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3. Kinematic Analysis

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4. Numerical Modeling:

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4. Numerical Modeling:

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5. Probabilistic Method

Fast Track Nepal (Kathmandu Nijgadh

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The probabilistic approach in rock and soil slope design is
a relatively new concept. A number of publications
provide detailed descriptions concerning this method,
however, particularly for rock slopes. McMahon (1971,
1974), Shuk (1970), Serrano and Castillo (1974), Call
(1985), Savely (1985), Piteau, et. al. (1985), Piteau and
Martin (1977), Kirsten and Moss (1985), Moss and Steffen
(1978), and Call and Kim (1978) all address the probability
of failure of rock slopes. The probability of failure of soil
slopes is discussed by Langejan (1965), Tang, et. al.
(1976), and Kirsten (1983). It should be noted that many
of the concepts of the probabilistic analysis of rock slopes
can also be applied to soil slopes.
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