| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 809301 | International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences | 2013 | 10 Pages |
In the analysis of rock slope stability, the method of wedge analysis proposed by Hoek and Bray in their classic textbook Rock Slope Engineering (1981) [1] and the computer program SWEDGE (Rocscience, 2001) [18], which was developed based on this method, are widely applied, especially in practical engineering situations. In the Hoek–Bray method, wedge failure modes are identified by the effective normal forces that act on the two discontinuities forming the wedge. The effective normal forces obtained using this method may be distorted with respect to certain conditions since discontinuities usually cannot bear tensile stress. This may lead to inaccurate estimations of failure modes and incorrect solutions for safety factors. This paper establishes criteria for normal forces to identify failure modes according to kinematic conditions of wedge failure and proposes a modified Hoek–Bray method for the analysis of wedge stability. Considering the scattering in discontinuity orientation data, an optimization procedure for wedge stability is proposed. This involves a genetic algorithm (GA) for searching the critical failure surface with the minimum factor of safety and provides a low-limit solution with conservative advantages for engineering support design to ensure the stability and safety of the rock slope.
► Normal force criteria judging failure modes for rock wedge were established. ► A modified version of the Hoek–Bray method for analyzing wedge stability is proposed. ► An optimal means of evaluating the stability of random wedges is proposed. ► GA is used to locate the critical failure surface for wedge stability analysis.
