Stability Analysis of Slopes with Weak Interlayers Considering Dynamic Construction Processes and Variable Dip Angles of Low-Angle Discontinuities

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-793-9_92How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Gentle dip; Dynamic construction; Weak interlayer; Varying dip angles; Slope stability

Abstract

Based on the engineering case of a gently inclined bedding rock slope containing weak interlayers, this study summarizes the engineering characteristics of weak interlayers and preliminarily determines that the slope failure mode is bedding slip-tensile cracking, with the weak interlayer being the primary factor affecting slope stability. Numerical analysis was conducted to evaluate the stability of both vertical-cut and slope-cut excavations with varying structural plane inclinations. The results indicate that unloading through excavation improves slope safety but disrupts the original stress equilibrium, reduces the beneficial self-weight load of the overlying soil, releases initial slope stress, and increases tangential displacement. The intersection zone between the excavated slope surface and the weak structural plane constitutes a post-excavation weak area. Compared to vertical excavation, slope cutting significantly enhances the stability factor across different inclination angles. The study reveals that the stability of gently inclined bedding slopes with weak interlayers is inversely correlated with the thickness and dip angle of the weak structural layer as well as the self-weight of the overlying rock and soil mass.For the studied slope, the structural plane exhibits a sensitive inclination range of 19°–30°, within which the slope is prone to developing rear-edge tensile cracks as the angle increases. After slope cutting, the shear stress distribution follows a similar decreasing trend as the inclination angle varies from 9° → 14° → 19°, with the self-weight of the sliding mass above the weak interlayer becoming the dominant factor influencing the rear-edge shear resistance. When the dip angle of the weak structural plane is less than 14°, slope stability is primarily governed by the geomechanical properties of the rock-soil mass and boundary conditions.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Lidan Li
AU  - Jianying Zhou
AU  - Yurong Wang
AU  - Cheng Li
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/07/28
TI  - Stability Analysis of Slopes with Weak Interlayers Considering Dynamic Construction Processes and Variable Dip Angles of Low-Angle Discontinuities
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 8th International Conference on Traffic Transportation and Civil Architecture (ICTTCA 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1079
EP  - 1095
SN  - 2589-4943
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-793-9_92
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-793-9_92
ID  - Li2025
ER  -