Abstract

Safety analyses for the design of large rock engineering projects, such as concrete dams, natural and excavation slopes, or underground caverns, commonly require the examination of the potential failure mechanisms typically defined by natural rock discontinuities (joints or faults) or the concrete-rock interfaces.

Numerical discrete element models have proved to be a powerful tool to address the safety assessment in rock engineering structures. Current discrete element models based on deformable block formulations have all the features required for safety analyses. In simple cases, with a clearly identifiable failure mechanism and few blocks, they may advantageously replace limit equilibrium analyses, while in complex blocky systems the use of discrete element models is difficult to avoid.

This paper presents a model with a wedge block on a rock slope. It was used to evaluate the influence of several parameters and procedures in the calculation of the shear strength parameters required for the stability of the wedge.

1 Introduction

Numerical discrete element models have proved to be a powerful tool to address the safety assessment in rock engineering structures. Current discrete element models based on deformable block formulations have all the features required for safety analyses. In simple cases, with a clearly identifiable failure mechanism and few blocks, they may advantageously replace limit equilibrium analyses, while in complex blocky systems the use of discrete element models is difficult to avoid (Lemos, 2011).

Safety analyses for the design of large rock engineering projects, such as concrete dams, natural and excavation slopes, or underground caverns, commonly require the examination of the potential failure mechanisms typically defined by natural rock discontinuities (joints or faults) or the concrete-rock interfaces.

Numerical models that represent the rock mass as a discontinuous medium, in particular discrete element models, are particularly adequate for the identification and safety analysis of these failure scenarios, given their ability to represent the geologic structure of the rock mass (Lemos, 2011).

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