RocPlane v3.

Numerical Modeling Workshop in Geomechanics Using Rocscience

Software

21-22 April 2019, Muscat, OMAN

Geotechnical tools,
inspired by you.
RocPlane v3.0
 Presentation Outline
• Problem Description
• Determining Potentially Risky Surfaces
• Identifying Input Parameters and Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
• Conducting Probability Analysis – Parameter Sensitivity
• Support System- Bolt Application
• Bench Design
 Problem Description
• Work site is located in Ankara province and the scope of the project is planning a state highway route line.

• A cut slope with 50/160 (dip/dip direction) orientation will be opened between the predetermined kilometers of the
route

• As a result of the field studies, 6 main strata orientations are specified between the kilometers where the cut
slope will be opened

• Dominant lithology along the route line is composed of sandstone

• Triggering effects of groundwater and surface water due to infiltration are expected along the discontinuity planes

• Work site is located in the 2nd Degree Seismic Zone (pga475= 0.3 g)

• The scope of the route line investigations is to conduct slope stability analysis on cut slopes to determine and
minimize the possible hazardous risks along the route.
 Problem Description
• Main strata plane orientations according to the comprehensive field studies conducted on route line;

Main Strata Dip Dip Direction

Plane
1 52 165
2 40 157
3 47 142
4 42 220
5 30 155
6 45 310
 Problem Description
• Typical Cross Section of Study Area

Strata
Plane

Slope

Highway

Not to Scale
Determining Potentially Risky Surfaces

Add User Plane

Determining Potentially Risky Surfaces
Determining Potentially Risky Surfaces
Determining Potentially Risky Surfaces
Determining Potentially Risky Surfaces

Pole vectors of strata planes with

numbers 2,3 and 5 lie within the
daylight envelope, thus, they involve
potential risks of planar sliding
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Defining input data for plane number 5
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Defining input data for plane number 5
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Defining input data for plane number 5
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

FOS = 1.81 > 1.5 - Stable

Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Defining Water Pressure
Peak Pressure Mid Height Peak Pressure Toe

A) No Tension Crack B) With Tension Crack

A) No Tension Crack B) With Tension Crack

C C

C) % Filled Option
C) % Filled Option
 Defining Water Pressure
Peak Pressure - Tension Crack Base Custom Pressure

A) Tension Crack with Water B) Only Water Pressure on

Pressure on Failure Plane Tension Crack

A) No Tension Crack B) With Tension Crack

C) % Filled Option
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

FOS = 1.56 > 1.5 - Stable

Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

The study area is located in

the 2nd Degree Seismic
Zone, hence, (kh= 0.30 g /2
= 0.15) seismic coefficient
is applied
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

FOS in Seismic Condition = 1.14 > 1.1 - Stable

Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Defining input data for plane number 3
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Defining input data for plane number 3
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Defining input data for plane number 3
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

FOS = 3.12 > 1.5 - Stable

Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

FOS = 2.55 > 1.5 - Stable

Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

The study area is located in

the 2nd Degree Seismic
Zone, hence, (kh= 0.30 g /2
= 0.15) seismic coefficient
is applied
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

FOS in Seismic Condition = 2.13 > 1.1 - Stable

Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Defining input data for plane number 2
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Defining input data for plane number 2
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Defining input data for plane number 2
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

FOS (Water Pressure has not been modeled) = 1.66 > 1.5 - Stable
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

Value acquired from field

piezometer data
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

FOS (Water Pressure has been modeled) = 0.87 > 1.5 - Unstable
Conducting Probability Analysis – Parameter Sensitivity

• Slope Geometry: No uncertainty

Conducting Probability Analysis – Parameter Sensitivity

• Failure Plane Dip Angle 2 Degrees, Waviness 1 Degree Lower and 2 Degrees Upper Bound Values, Triangular
Distribution
 Conducting Probability Analysis – Parameter Sensitivity

• Strength Parameter Uncertainty Along Discontinuity Plane, Triangular Distribution

Conducting Probability Analysis – Parameter Sensitivity

• Water Pressure: No uncertainty

Conducting Probability Analysis – Parameter Sensitivity

• Probability of Failure: ~0.33 or ~33%

Conducting Probability Analysis – Parameter Sensitivity

Statistics  Plot Histogram

Bolt Application

Support  Add Bolt

Bolt Application
Deterministic Analysis
Support  Add Bolt Factor of Safety: 1.50472
Normal Force: 0.297063 MN/m
Normal Stress: 0.0136392 MPa
Shear Strength: 0.0305227 MPa
Driving Force: 0.577585 MN/m
Resisting Force: 0.869106 MN/m
Water Pressure: Present
Geometry Water Unit Weight: 0.00981 MN/m3
Slope Height: 14 m Pressure Distribution Model: Custom Pressure
Wedge Weight: 0.898562 MN/m Water Pressure on Failure Plane: 0.03 MPa
Wedge Volume: 34.5601 m^3/m Water Force on Failure Plane: 0.653404 MN/m
Wedge Height: 14 m Water Force on Failure Plane: 0.653404 MN/m
Unit Weight: 0.026 MN/m3
Slope Angle: 50 deg Bolt Force
Failure Plane Angle: 40 deg Resultant Active Bolt Force: 0 MN/m
Upper Face Angle: 0 deg Active Bolt Angle: 0 deg
Bench Width: Not Present Resultant Passive Bolt Force: 0.32 MN/m
Waviness: 4 deg Passive Bolt Angle: 15 deg
Failure plane length: 21.7801 m #1 Bolt Capacity: 0.32 MN/m, Angle: 15 deg, Length: 8 m,
Slope length: 18.2573 m Anchored Length: 5.60968 m, Passive type

Strength
Shear Strength Model: Mohr-Coulomb
Friction Angle: 32 deg
Cohesion: 0.022 MPa
Shear Strength: 0.0305227 MPa
Shear Resistance: 0.664789 MN/m
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis – Bolt Application
Example: Bolt application on 12-meter-long slope face with 2 m x 2 m bolt application pattern

Slope Face Area: 12 m x 18 m = 216 m2

Estimated bolt number: 216 m2 / 4 m2 = 54

Total load for bolts to bear for 12 m slope: 0.32 MN/m x 12 m = 3.84 MN

Load for each individual bolt to bear in order to satisfy FOS = 1.5 : 3840 kN / 54 = 71.1 kN

Bolts will be applied perpendicular to slope face and with an angle of 15 degrees with horizontal

Diameter and length of each individual bolt will be revised (based on bond strength approach) according to the
estimated load capacity of each bolt

Bolts will be sized to extend the failure surface

Conducting Planar Failure Analysis
Conducting Planar Failure Analysis

FOS in Seismic Condition = 1.19 > 1.1 - Stable

Bench Design
Managed Approach Quantitative Hazard Analysis
Bench Design

Project Settings ---> Probabilistic Analysis

Defining the sampling

method, number of samples
and design factor of safety
for probabilistic analysis
 Bench Design
Analysis---> Input Data

Slope Height: 14 m ---> 45 m

Very small wedges will be ignored.

Hence, minimum wedge size: 0.001 MN

• Slope Geometry: No uncertainty

Bench Design

Bench Width: 7 m

• Slope Upper Face: No uncertainty.

Bench Design

Failure Plane
Angle: 40° Waviness: 4°

• Uncertainty on Failure Plane, Normal Distribution

• Uncertainty on Waviness, Uniform Distribution
Bench Design

Cohesion: 0.022 MPa Friction angle: 32°

• Uncertainty on Friction Angle, Normal Distribution

Bench Design

Water Pressure: 0.03

MPa

• Water Pressure: No Uncertainty

Bench Design
Bench Design
TERMINOLOGY

Usable Bench Width = Total Bench Width – Backbreak Distance

Backbreak Distance : Distance lost on the bench crest usually due to planar or wedge slide failure
Bench Design
Analysis---> Bench Design
Bench Design
Bench Width

Fixed Bench Width Slope Face Angle

Interramp Angle

Bench Width
Fixed Interramp Angle

Slope Face Angle

Interramp Angle
Bench Design

Backbreak
Distance

Sliding
Wedge

Bench
Height

Bench Face
Angle
Bench Design

Discontinuity
Persistence Settings
Bench Design

Defining Bench Face

Angle

Defining Design
Threshold
Bench Design
Managed Approach
Statistics---> Bench Design ---> Total Probability of Failure Plot
Bench Design
Bench Angle – Total Probability of Failure Plot
Bench Design
Statistics---> Bench Design ---> Normalized Frequency of Failed Wedges Plot
Bench Design
Bench Angle – Normalized Frequency of Failed Wedges Plot
 Bench Design
Statistics---> Bench Design ---> Minimum Bench Width Plot
Bench Design
Bench Angle – Minimum Bench Width Plot
Bench Design
Quantitative Hazard Analysis

Close all the view frames

except 3D view
Bench Design
Analysis---> Bench Design ---> Define Persistance Settings

Defining
persistence of
failure plane
Bench Design

Persistence of
discontinuity plane: 3 m
Bench Design
Statistics---> Bench Design ---> Cell Probability of Occurence Plot
Bench Design
Backbreak Distance – Probability of Occurence Plot
Bench Design
Statistics---> Bench Design ---> Cell Cumulative Probability of Occurence Plot
Bench Design
Backbreak Distance – Cumulative Probability of Occurence Plot
Bench Design
Statistics---> Bench Design ---> Cell Probability of Sliding Plot
Bench Design
Backbreak Distance – Probability of Sliding Plot
Bench Design
Statistics---> Bench Design ---> Cell Probability of Failure Plot
Bench Design
Backbreak Distance – Probability of Failure Plot