Implementation of a damage mechanics model into the particle finite element method for rock slope failure analysis

Abstract

We implement a damage mechanics model into the particle finite element method to simulate the pre- and post-failure processes of rock slopes. In this computational framework, the stress-driven strain localisation and damage evolution are modelled based on a continuum damage mechanics model; discrete discontinuities like faults are represented as thin continuum layers of equivalent properties; the particle finite element method is used to solve and track the large deformation of rock masses. In the paper, we first present the mathematical formulation of the proposed model and then conduct a thorough validation of our model for simulating damage propagation against well-documented experimental data. We further apply the model to simulate progressive failure phenomena of a naturally faulted rock slope including both the pre-failure degradation and post-failure runout, demonstrating the strong capability of our model in capturing the emergence, evolution and consequences of catastrophic rock slope failure. Our work has important implications for understanding the physical mechanisms driving the progressive destabilisation and catastrophic failure phenomena of faulted rock slopes in nature.