The Application of Empirical Methods and Kinematical Analysis to Assess the Stability of a Rock Formation – A Case Study

Abstract

Ensuring the safety of a high frequented mountain road is one of the priorities to be achieved, especially since it is exposed to many external conditions. For this, it is very important to study any factor that could compromise the safety of the adjacent embankments for whom we will make a stability analysis. A large number of researchers have been interested in the stability of slopes and the methods of support suitable for each case of rock slopes. In our study, we will be particularly interested in the rock slopes of schist formation in two zones at the Tichka pass. Over the years, much research has been carried out to develop modes of classifying rocks and evaluating the stability of slopes using different methods: empirical methods, kinematic analysis, numerical methods such as finite elements, finite differences, discrete elements, and limit equilibrium analysis. Comparisons were made between these methods for different case studies. We studied slope stability by approaching the empirical SMR and Q-slope methods and comparing them to the results of kinematic analysis, each of which is different in the way of processing for the study. Kinematic analysis is particularly interested in the orientations of discontinuities which is an essential factor for the stability analysis given that ruptures can only occur through discontinuities. The other methods involve the rock strength and the surrounding environment characteristics in addition to the discontinuity's orientations (SMR method) and the influence of these orientations on the stability (Q-slope method). We observed a significant convergence of the results of the SMR method with the kinematic analysis. On the other hand, certain differences were noted between the Q-slope method and the kinematic analysis, particularly on one of the slopes studied.