2D visual characterisation of wedge failure types and locations on rock slopes

Abstract

This paper presents an easy and effective methodology that includes several submodels for the visual characterisation of the wedge structures, locations, and densities of all faced in situ polyhedral rock blocks on rock slope surfaces. A series of linear equations and classifying processes was derived to define the natural wedge blocks according to their basic boundary elements, specifically their edges, corners, and angles. In the developed model, wedge structures can be selected by a filtering process from the generated data set, which was recorded by using the scan-line technique. The study defines the intersection points between discontinuity traces on free surfaces. Kernel density estimation, a clustering tool, was used to display the density of 2D intersection points on the free surfaces of a rock slope. The developed methodology will help reduce rock structure complexity for many assessments related to rock mass applications, such as slope stability. The methodology was sampled on an experimental highway wall, and the results were consistent.