Fundamental study of the influences of discontinuities on rock slope displacement due to excavation

Abstract

In the Higashikagoe limestone quarry, discontinuities are thought to be one of the factors contributing to the deformation of the rock slope. In this study, we investigated the impact of discontinuities and dip angles on slope deformation through numerical simulations, developing four models: a model without any discontinuity and three models with discontinuities of different dip angles. Results showed that discontinuities significantly influence deformation, with forward movement observed in models with discontinuities, aligning with field measurements. This suggests that discontinuities are critical to the deformation of the rock slope in the Higashishikagoe quarry.