A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A New Insight into the Stability of Precariously Balanced Rocks
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5373-7610
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0883-7211
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8676-6829
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5202-0044
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6540-2711
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0440-2165
Abstract Large granitic boulders resting on steep slopes represent considerable safety hazards that largely depend on the location of the contact surface characterized by the impression d, denoting the parallel distance between the contact surface and the original rock surface. On the other hand, this impression reflecting the often convex nature of the contact between boulders and resting platforms, cannot be measured precisely, so Factors of Safety (FoS) computed with this input may have significant uncertainties. Using geometric 3D analysis, here, we present the concept of computing FoS as a function of the impression d, admitting a much more reliable estimate of the actual hazards. Beyond introducing the FoS functions, we also identify all failure modes, some of which have not yet been investigated. We compute the FoS functions for the boulder Pena do Equilibrio, located in Spain. Our computations for FoS against sliding match all earlier results. However, we also compute FoS against toppling and against torsion and show that the latter may be critical. Since our methods are general, this suggests that torsion phenomena, which have been scarcely studied so far, may be relevant to analyze the stability of other natural rock boulders.
Highlights A novel method to evaluate the safety of large boulders resting on steep slopes. Instead of Factors of Safety (FoS) computed at a fixed geometry with significant uncertainties, FoS functions are introduced, depending on a single geometric parameter.Considering spatial components of possible displacements, all failure modes of the boulder are identified, some of which have never been investigated before.Using geometric 3D analysis, our method is applied to the boulder Pena do Equilibrio, located in Spain and we find that torsional instability, one of the newly identified failure modes is critical.
A New Insight into the Stability of Precariously Balanced Rocks
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5373-7610
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0883-7211
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8676-6829
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5202-0044
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6540-2711
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0440-2165
Abstract Large granitic boulders resting on steep slopes represent considerable safety hazards that largely depend on the location of the contact surface characterized by the impression d, denoting the parallel distance between the contact surface and the original rock surface. On the other hand, this impression reflecting the often convex nature of the contact between boulders and resting platforms, cannot be measured precisely, so Factors of Safety (FoS) computed with this input may have significant uncertainties. Using geometric 3D analysis, here, we present the concept of computing FoS as a function of the impression d, admitting a much more reliable estimate of the actual hazards. Beyond introducing the FoS functions, we also identify all failure modes, some of which have not yet been investigated. We compute the FoS functions for the boulder Pena do Equilibrio, located in Spain. Our computations for FoS against sliding match all earlier results. However, we also compute FoS against toppling and against torsion and show that the latter may be critical. Since our methods are general, this suggests that torsion phenomena, which have been scarcely studied so far, may be relevant to analyze the stability of other natural rock boulders.
Highlights A novel method to evaluate the safety of large boulders resting on steep slopes. Instead of Factors of Safety (FoS) computed at a fixed geometry with significant uncertainties, FoS functions are introduced, depending on a single geometric parameter.Considering spatial components of possible displacements, all failure modes of the boulder are identified, some of which have never been investigated before.Using geometric 3D analysis, our method is applied to the boulder Pena do Equilibrio, located in Spain and we find that torsional instability, one of the newly identified failure modes is critical.
A New Insight into the Stability of Precariously Balanced Rocks
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5373-7610
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0883-7211
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8676-6829
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5202-0044
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6540-2711
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0440-2165
Abstract Large granitic boulders resting on steep slopes represent considerable safety hazards that largely depend on the location of the contact surface characterized by the impression d, denoting the parallel distance between the contact surface and the original rock surface. On the other hand, this impression reflecting the often convex nature of the contact between boulders and resting platforms, cannot be measured precisely, so Factors of Safety (FoS) computed with this input may have significant uncertainties. Using geometric 3D analysis, here, we present the concept of computing FoS as a function of the impression d, admitting a much more reliable estimate of the actual hazards. Beyond introducing the FoS functions, we also identify all failure modes, some of which have not yet been investigated. We compute the FoS functions for the boulder Pena do Equilibrio, located in Spain. Our computations for FoS against sliding match all earlier results. However, we also compute FoS against toppling and against torsion and show that the latter may be critical. Since our methods are general, this suggests that torsion phenomena, which have been scarcely studied so far, may be relevant to analyze the stability of other natural rock boulders.
Highlights A novel method to evaluate the safety of large boulders resting on steep slopes. Instead of Factors of Safety (FoS) computed at a fixed geometry with significant uncertainties, FoS functions are introduced, depending on a single geometric parameter.Considering spatial components of possible displacements, all failure modes of the boulder are identified, some of which have never been investigated before.Using geometric 3D analysis, our method is applied to the boulder Pena do Equilibrio, located in Spain and we find that torsional instability, one of the newly identified failure modes is critical.
A New Insight into the Stability of Precariously Balanced Rocks
Ludmány, Balázs (author) / Pérez-Rey, Ignacio (author) / Domokos, Gábor (author) / Muñiz-Menéndez, Mauro (author) / Alejano, Leandro R. (author) / Sipos, András Á. (author)
2023
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
BKL:
38.58
Geomechanik
/
56.20
Ingenieurgeologie, Bodenmechanik
/
38.58$jGeomechanik
/
56.20$jIngenieurgeologie$jBodenmechanik
RVK:
ELIB41
Microstructural insight into the nonlinear swelling of argillaceous rocks
| British Library Online Contents | 2015
Microstructural insight into the nonlinear swelling of argillaceous rocks
| Online Contents | 2015