Block Element Method for the Seismic Stability of Rock Slopes
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 12
Abstract
The seismic stability analysis of rock slope is implemented using a block element method (BEM) in this paper. Based on the formulations of the matrices of stiffness, mass, and damping, the dynamic governing equation for the rock block system is established. The Wilson method is used to solve the dynamic governing equation, and the viscoelastic artificial boundary condition is introduced to treat the unbound domain problem. The proposed method is applied to the seismic stability analysis of the intake slope in a hydropower project, from which the dynamic safety factors of key block element combinations during earthquake and their dynamic amplification factors of acceleration are evaluated.
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Acknowledgments
Support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China under Contract No. NSFC2008BAB29B01 is gratefully appreciated. The writers thank the Lille University of Science and Technology who offered a guest professor position for the first witer in 2007 and 2008 to complete this research. The writers also thank the anonymous reviewers and editors for their suggestions to improve the research.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 12 • December 2010
Pages: 1610 - 1617
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 15, 2007
Accepted: Aug 26, 2008
Published online: Nov 15, 2010
Published in print: Dec 2010
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