The stability of high rock slopes is controlled by many geological factors including the orientation, size, and location of geological structures, lithology, rock mass strength, hydrogeological setting, and slope topography. Together, these “inherited” factors often control the location, the extent, and the volume of the potential rock mass involved in a rock slope failure. Rock slopes can remain stable for many thousands of years before a de-stabilizing event or “trigger”, causes the slope to fail. However, often the failure of a rock slope is the final outcome of a slow and progressive degradation of the rock mass causing a gradual reduction in slope stability. Many authors have investigated the role of so-called “exogenic” and “endogenic” factors on the evolution of rock slope stability. Exogenic factors may lead to damage in the rock mass at the surface of rock slopes (i.e. weathering, erosion, etc.). Conversely, endogenic factors cause the weakening of the rock mass from within the Earth’s crust (earthquakes, volcanism, etc.). The action of the above factors, extending over thousands of years, and the interaction with the aforementioned inherited factors, causes the formation of rock slope damage features such as tension cracks, rock mass dilation and brittle fracture resulting in “progressive failure” of the slope. In the course of this research, several landslide sites were visited, both in North America (the Downie Slide and the Hope Slide, British Columbia, Canada) and Italy (San Leo landslide). At each site, slope damage was investigated using an integrated remote sensing and numerical modelling approach. It was noted that the accumulation of slope damage was driven and controlled by a complex interaction of factors and geomorphic processes, including glacial and fluvial erosion, steepening and undermining of the slope, debuttressing, slope deformations and fatigue. In this paper we provide clear evidence of how mapping and characterization of slope damage features using state-of-the-art remote sensing methods can provide new insights on the style of slope deformation and the factors that control the stability and failure of rock slopes. Finally, it is recommended that the analysis of rock slope damage should be an important component in the workflow to ensure comprehensive rock slope characterization.
The importance of characterizing slope damage in rock slopes
Davide DonatiPrimo
;
2019
Abstract
The stability of high rock slopes is controlled by many geological factors including the orientation, size, and location of geological structures, lithology, rock mass strength, hydrogeological setting, and slope topography. Together, these “inherited” factors often control the location, the extent, and the volume of the potential rock mass involved in a rock slope failure. Rock slopes can remain stable for many thousands of years before a de-stabilizing event or “trigger”, causes the slope to fail. However, often the failure of a rock slope is the final outcome of a slow and progressive degradation of the rock mass causing a gradual reduction in slope stability. Many authors have investigated the role of so-called “exogenic” and “endogenic” factors on the evolution of rock slope stability. Exogenic factors may lead to damage in the rock mass at the surface of rock slopes (i.e. weathering, erosion, etc.). Conversely, endogenic factors cause the weakening of the rock mass from within the Earth’s crust (earthquakes, volcanism, etc.). The action of the above factors, extending over thousands of years, and the interaction with the aforementioned inherited factors, causes the formation of rock slope damage features such as tension cracks, rock mass dilation and brittle fracture resulting in “progressive failure” of the slope. In the course of this research, several landslide sites were visited, both in North America (the Downie Slide and the Hope Slide, British Columbia, Canada) and Italy (San Leo landslide). At each site, slope damage was investigated using an integrated remote sensing and numerical modelling approach. It was noted that the accumulation of slope damage was driven and controlled by a complex interaction of factors and geomorphic processes, including glacial and fluvial erosion, steepening and undermining of the slope, debuttressing, slope deformations and fatigue. In this paper we provide clear evidence of how mapping and characterization of slope damage features using state-of-the-art remote sensing methods can provide new insights on the style of slope deformation and the factors that control the stability and failure of rock slopes. Finally, it is recommended that the analysis of rock slope damage should be an important component in the workflow to ensure comprehensive rock slope characterization.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
