Investigation of retrogressive and progressive slope failure mechanisms using the material point method

B. Wang, P. J. Vardon*, M. A. Hicks

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

93 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Retrogressive and progressive slope failures are a dynamic process, in the sense that they involve a progressively changing scenario. This paper uses the contemporary material point method (MPM), to provide a view of how such failures develop. Two main scenarios are presented: (a) a relatively small slope, which, when subjected to an initial failure, is steepened, leading to the initiation of further failures retrogressing backwards; and (b) a long slope, where an initial perturbation (e.g. an excavation) triggers a series of failures that can retrogressively move up-slope.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)88-98
Number of pages11
JournalComputers and Geotechnics
Volume78
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2016

Keywords

  • Dynamics
  • Failure mechanism
  • Material point method
  • Retrogressive failure
  • Slope stability

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