Three-Dimensional Stability Analysis of Ridge Slope Using Strength Reduction Method Based on Unified Strength Criterion

Abstract

Ridge slopes often occur in highway or railway engineering. The initial stress distribution of a ridge slope is important for the original slope and an excavation slope. In this paper, a wire-frame model of ridge slope was established. Numerical simulations on the 3D stability analysis were performed using the strength reduction method based on unified strength theory. The influences of ridgeline dip angle α, flank slope angle β, and slope height H on the deformation and failure mode of ridgeline slopes were analyzed. When α was small, cracking failure easily occurred at the front edge of the ridge slope and the area near the ridge line. When α was large, shear failure was prone to occur at the trailing edge of the ridge slope. Under the same reduction coefficient, the larger the flank slope angle β, the larger the slope displacement of the ridge. The plastic zone gradually concentrated near the ridge. When H was small, the displacement mainly occurred at the trailing edge of the slope, and the slopes were generally prone to cracking damage at the trailing edge. The front edge of the slope experienced a large displacement when the height of the ridge slope increased. The bottom of the flank slope was also displaced, and a plastic zone was observed at the foot of the slope. When the excavation slope ratio of the ridge slope was small, the plastic zone was mainly located on the side slope. When the excavation rate increased, the plastic zone appeared on the excavation slope surface, and its stability decreased significantly.

Keywords

• ridge slope
• three-dimensional failure mode
• unified strength theory
• numerical simulation
• strength reduction method