Toward a Plausible Methodology to Assess Rock Slope Instabilities at a Regional Scale
Slope failures along road cuts and highways, occurring due to heavy rainfalls or earthquakes, pose significant threats to people, vehicles, and emergency plans. In the present study, a methodology to assess the stability of rock slopes at a regional scale is proposed using a kinematic analysis and a...
| Published in: | Geosciences |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/4/98 |
| _version_ | 1850405048291426304 |
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| author | Dimitris Sotiriadis Nikolaos Klimis Elisavet Isavela Koutsoupaki Eleni Petala Sotiris Valkaniotis Maria Taftsoglou Vasileios Margaris Ioannis Dokas |
| author_facet | Dimitris Sotiriadis Nikolaos Klimis Elisavet Isavela Koutsoupaki Eleni Petala Sotiris Valkaniotis Maria Taftsoglou Vasileios Margaris Ioannis Dokas |
| author_sort | Dimitris Sotiriadis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| container_title | Geosciences |
| description | Slope failures along road cuts and highways, occurring due to heavy rainfalls or earthquakes, pose significant threats to people, vehicles, and emergency plans. In the present study, a methodology to assess the stability of rock slopes at a regional scale is proposed using a kinematic analysis and a probabilistic limit equilibrium analysis for plane sliding and wedge failure modes. The workflow adopted is described through its implementation along the main road network of the island of Thasos, located in northern Greece. On-site investigations and measurements along the island’s road network formed the basis of the present study. The results of the kinematic analysis showed that the joint sets, which were identified during the on-site investigations, formed critical intersections that could lead to wedge and plane sliding failures. The on-site measurements and the results of the kinematic analysis were utilized to perform limit equilibrium back-analyses at sites of identified failures due to the water pressure effects to probabilistically estimate the material strength properties of the joints. Subsequently, numerous limit equilibrium analyses were executed within a Monte Carlo simulation framework to produce representative fragility curves of rock slopes against plane sliding and wedge failures along the main road network, due to earthquake loading and water pressures. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e6e5b08b29d449f2a27cfd018e7130f5 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| issn | 2076-3263 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| spelling | doaj-art-e6e5b08b29d449f2a27cfd018e7130f52025-08-19T22:48:43ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632023-03-011349810.3390/geosciences13040098Toward a Plausible Methodology to Assess Rock Slope Instabilities at a Regional ScaleDimitris Sotiriadis0Nikolaos Klimis1Elisavet Isavela Koutsoupaki2Eleni Petala3Sotiris Valkaniotis4Maria Taftsoglou5Vasileios Margaris6Ioannis Dokas7Department of Civil Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, 67100 Xanthi, GreeceDepartment of Civil Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, 67100 Xanthi, GreeceDepartment of Civil Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, 67100 Xanthi, GreeceDepartment of Civil Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, 67100 Xanthi, GreeceDepartment of Civil Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, 67100 Xanthi, GreeceDepartment of Civil Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, 67100 Xanthi, GreeceInstitute of Engineering Seismology and Earthquake Engineering, EPPO-ITSAK, 55535 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Civil Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, 67100 Xanthi, GreeceSlope failures along road cuts and highways, occurring due to heavy rainfalls or earthquakes, pose significant threats to people, vehicles, and emergency plans. In the present study, a methodology to assess the stability of rock slopes at a regional scale is proposed using a kinematic analysis and a probabilistic limit equilibrium analysis for plane sliding and wedge failure modes. The workflow adopted is described through its implementation along the main road network of the island of Thasos, located in northern Greece. On-site investigations and measurements along the island’s road network formed the basis of the present study. The results of the kinematic analysis showed that the joint sets, which were identified during the on-site investigations, formed critical intersections that could lead to wedge and plane sliding failures. The on-site measurements and the results of the kinematic analysis were utilized to perform limit equilibrium back-analyses at sites of identified failures due to the water pressure effects to probabilistically estimate the material strength properties of the joints. Subsequently, numerous limit equilibrium analyses were executed within a Monte Carlo simulation framework to produce representative fragility curves of rock slopes against plane sliding and wedge failures along the main road network, due to earthquake loading and water pressures.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/4/98rock slope stabilitykinematic analysislimit equilibrium analysisfragility curves |
| spellingShingle | Dimitris Sotiriadis Nikolaos Klimis Elisavet Isavela Koutsoupaki Eleni Petala Sotiris Valkaniotis Maria Taftsoglou Vasileios Margaris Ioannis Dokas Toward a Plausible Methodology to Assess Rock Slope Instabilities at a Regional Scale rock slope stability kinematic analysis limit equilibrium analysis fragility curves |
| title | Toward a Plausible Methodology to Assess Rock Slope Instabilities at a Regional Scale |
| title_full | Toward a Plausible Methodology to Assess Rock Slope Instabilities at a Regional Scale |
| title_fullStr | Toward a Plausible Methodology to Assess Rock Slope Instabilities at a Regional Scale |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward a Plausible Methodology to Assess Rock Slope Instabilities at a Regional Scale |
| title_short | Toward a Plausible Methodology to Assess Rock Slope Instabilities at a Regional Scale |
| title_sort | toward a plausible methodology to assess rock slope instabilities at a regional scale |
| topic | rock slope stability kinematic analysis limit equilibrium analysis fragility curves |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/4/98 |
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