Wedge Sliding Analysis of the Rock Slope Subjected to Uplift Forces and Surcharge Loads Conditions.

The safety factor of the slope subjected to wedge failure under surcharge load and uplift forces was obtained using an analytical model. A detailed parametric study conducted for the physical slope involved examining the impacts of the surcharge loads and uplift forces acting along the joint planes due to water pressure on the safety factor of the slope subjected to wedge sliding. The study results indicated that the safety factor of the slope susceptible to wedge sliding decreases with an increase in the surcharge loads and the uplift forces acting along the joint planes due to water pressure. The reduction in the safety factor due to an increase in the surcharge load is independent of the uplift forces acting along the joint planes. The rate of deterioration in the stability of the rock slope susceptible to wedge sliding depends on the rate of increase in the surcharge loads and uplift forces acting along the joint planes due to water pressure. The proposed expression can be useful for analytical stability analyses of the rock slopes subjected to wedge sliding induced by the surcharge load and uplift forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]