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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Earth Sci.
Sec. Geohazards and Georisks
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feart.2025.1564077
This article is part of the Research TopicNatural Disaster Prediction Based on Experimental and Numerical MethodsView all 10 articles
Stability influence of weak interlayer rock slope under rainfall
Provisionally accepted- 1National Institute of Natural Hazards, Ministry of Emergency Management (China), Beijing, China
- 2China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, Beijing, China
- 3Beijing Union University, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
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The study investigates the stability of soft rock slopes with weak interlayers under rainfall through indoor model tests and numerical simulations, focusing on a slope in northeast China. Weak interlayers, characterized by low thickness and mechanical strength compared to adjacent rock masses, are prone to water-induced softening, threatening slope stability. Key findings reveal: (1) rainfall triggers sliding along weak interlayers, accumulating debris at slope toes. Prolonged infiltration reduces rock-soil friction, potentially extending failure zones through slightly weathered tuff. (2) non-rainfall scenarios induce slope failures primarily at crests and shoulders, whereas rainfall shifts maximum displacement to slope feet. (3) expanding plastic zones under intensified rainfall indicate progressive instability development toward deeper slope surfaces. The results demonstrate rainfall's critical role in altering failure mechanisms and depth, providing insights for risk mitigation in geotechnical projects involving weak interlayers.
Keywords: soft rock strata, Rock slope, numerical simulation, Rainfall effect, stability analysis
Received: 21 Jan 2025; Accepted: 10 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Zhu, Xu, Ma and Sun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Shuhui Zhang, National Institute of Natural Hazards, Ministry of Emergency Management (China), Beijing, China
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