Geological structure and failure mechanism of an excavation-induced rockslide on the Tibetan Plateau, China
- PDF / 7,638,967 Bytes
- 15 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 41 Downloads / 187 Views
ORIGINAL PAPER
Geological structure and failure mechanism of an excavation-induced rockslide on the Tibetan Plateau, China Lei Zhu 1 & Siming He 1,2,3 & Jihao Jian 1,3 & Jun Zhou 4 & Bin Liu 4 Received: 10 December 2019 / Accepted: 28 October 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Rock slope failures are controlled by a complex interplay of geological structures and anthropogenic activities. In this study, data from structural geology, rock mass characterization, and ground-based monitoring networks are integrated into a numerical model. This model is used to explore the relationships among structural features, damages, anthropogenic activities, and slope failures occurring on the Tibetan Plateau in China. In particular, a model for the interpretation of brittle tectonic structures is illustrated, which characterizes the fracture patterns and explains the role of these features in the development of rock slope instability. Additionally, the relationships between tectonic structure-related fractures and slope failure mechanisms are investigated by characterizing the rock mass damage using the geological strength index. Finally, a numerical model is developed, which integrates the available data. It is found that the tectonic structure-related fractures controlled by an anticline are primarily responsible for slope failure, while an excavation was identified as its triggering mechanism. This research can serve as a reference for studies on excavation-induced rockslides. Keywords Rockslide . Excavation . Failure mechanism . Tibetan Plateau
Introduction Slope excavation for anthropogenic activities such as hydroelectric engineering and mining commonly induces slope failures. Excavations have triggered numerous recent landslide events (Peng et al. 2013; Troncone et al. 2014), resulting in large economic losses and casualties. Therefore, the assessment and prediction of slope failure mechanisms and stability during and after an excavation are crucial to reduce and prevent losses during these disasters (Najib et al. 2015; Kaya 2017).
* Siming He [email protected] 1
Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Surface Process, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
2
Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
3
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
4
China 19th Metallurgical Corporation, Chengdu 610031, China
The failure mechanism of excavation-induced rockslides depends on the structural features of the rock mass (e.g., spacing and persistence of joints) as well as on the geological features (e.g., lithology and topography), whereas structural patterns and rock mass damage are crucial factors in structurecontrolled rockslides. Under complex geological conditions, the outcrops tectonic structures, including faults and shear zones, are frequently associated with rock mass (McSaveney et al. 1992;Fasani et al. 2004; Bois et al. 2012; Humai
Data Loading...
