Numerical Study on Stability of Rock Slope Based on Energy Method

To solve the main shortcoming of numerical method for analysis of the stability of rock slope, such as the selection the convergence condition for the strength reduction method, one method based on the minimum energy dissipation rate is proposed. In the new method, the basic principle of fractured rock slope failure, that is, the process of the propagation and coalescence for cracks in rock slope, is considered. Through analysis of one mining rock slope in western China, this new method is verified and compared with the generally used strength reduction method. The results show that the new method based on the minimum energy dissipation rate can be used to analyze the stability of the fractured rock slope and its result is very good. Moreover, the new method can obtain less safety factor for the rock slope than those by other methods. Therefore, the new method based on the minimum energy dissipation rate is a good method to analyze the stability of the fractured rock slope and should be superior to other generally used methods.