Numerical analysis of slope stability based on the gravity increase method

A micromechanical model is proposed for studying the stability and failure process of slopes based on the gravity increase method (GIM). In this numerical model the heterogeneity of rock at a mesoscopic level is considered by assuming that the material properties conform to the Weibull distribution. Elastic damage mechanics is a method used for describing the constitutive law of the meso-level element, the finite element method (FEM) is employed as the basic stress analysis tool, and the maximum tensile strain criterion and the Mohr–Coulomb criterion are utilised as the damage threshold. The numerical model is implemented into the Realistic Failure Process Analysis (RFPA) code using finite element programming, and an extended version of RFPA, i.e., RFPA-GIM, is developed to analyse the failure process and stability of slopes. In the numerical modelling with RFPA-GIM, the critical failure surface of slopes is obtained by increasing the gravity gradually but keeping material properties constant. The acoustic emission (AE) event rate is employed as the criterion for slope failure. The salient feature of the RFPA-GIM in stability analysis of slopes is that the critical failure surface as well as the safety factor can be obtained without any presumption for the shape and location of the failure surface. Several numerical tests have been conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of RFPA-GIM. Numerical results agree well with experimental results and those predicted using the FEM strength reduction method and conventional limit equilibrium analysis. Furthermore it is shown that selection of the AE rate as the criterion for slope failure is reasonable and effective. Finally, the RFPA-GIM is applied to several more complex cases, including slopes in jointed rock masses and layered rock formations. The results indicate that the RFPA-GIM is capable of capturing the mechanism of slope failure and has the potential for application in a larger range of geo-engineering.