Failure Mechanism Analysis of Mining-Induced Landslide Based on Geophysical Investigation and Numerical Modelling Using Distinct Element Method

Abstract

Underground mining activity in the karst mountain in southwestern China has induced several large-scale rocky landslides and has caused serious casualties. At present, there is a lack of systematic research on the formation mechanism of landslides in this area using multi-method fusion technology. First, the orthophoto images of the landslide area obtained by UAV photography were used to analyze the deformation characteristics of the landslide. Second, the failure characteristics of the strata overlying the goaf were analyzed by geophysical detection. Finally, the deformation response characteristics of the mountain under underground mining were analyzed by UDEC numerical simulation. The results revealed that during the underground mining, the failure process of the mountain occurred in four stages: fracture expansion, subsidence and collapse, shear sliding, and multi-level sliding. Gently dipping soft–hard alternant strata and a blocky rock mass structure formed the geological foundation of the landslides. Underground mining accelerated the fracturing of the overlying strata and the formation of a stepped penetrating sliding surface. Tensile movement of the structural planes of hard sandstone in the free face, and shear sliding of the weak mudstone layer, were the main causes of the landslides. The slope instability mode was tension-shear fracturing, shear sliding, back toppling, and compressive shear failure. In addition, the fracture propagation in the overlying strata and damaged geological structure revealed by the geophysical detection were consistent with the simulation results. This study provides ideas for the precise countermeasures of disaster prevention and mitigation for similar landslides in this area.

Retrieving the Kinematic Process of Repeated-Mining-Induced Landslides by Fusing SAR/InSAR Displacement, Logistic Model, and Probability Integral Method

“…The position of the Peak 1 is near the broken zone of the cliff and Peak 2 is located in the middle part of the slope. This phenomenon is similar to the findings of previous studies involving physical tests [27,51] and numerical simulations [30] of mining landslides, which exhibit similar mining conditions and geological structures. The downward propagation of cracks at the summit can cause the middle portion of the slope to become a compression-shear stress zone [27].…”

“…The downward propagation of cracks at the summit can cause the middle portion of the slope to become a compression-shear stress zone [27]. This fragile stress zone will be squeezed out due to tensile shearing, particularly during the rainy season, leading to a potential slip surface and an increased risk of landslides [30,51]. Two areas of the slope present significant displacement, as indicated by the two positive peaks (Peak 1 and Peak 2) of the profile P-Q.…”

“…On the other hand, some studies have been carried out to explore the failure mechanism of landslides caused by underground mining extraction, such as the influence function methods [26], physical tests [27,28], and numerical simulations [29,30]. However, due to the kinematic process of mining-related landslides encompassing both mining-induced subsidence and slope instability, limited research has been conducted to separate the spatiotemporal interaction between landslides and subsurface excavation.…”

Construction and Application of Intelligent Landslide Warning System Based on Fusion of Multiple Source Data

“…Eight features, namely, geological hardness level, slope, daily cumulative rainfall, maximum hourly rainfall, antecedent effective precipitation, daily cumulative displacement, daily deformation rate, and daily deformation acceleration, were selected as training factors for the warning model. Geological hardness level and slope are intrinsic factors of the slope (Ku et al 2020; Li et al 2022). Different geological hardness levels indicate varying resistances to weathering and play a crucial role in slope stability.…”

Post-Landslide Liquefaction Analysis: A Case Study in the Kupang Regency Area, Indonesia

“…Landslides occur when this balance is disturbed, leading to shear failure along a plane within the soil or rock mass. This failure is often a complex interplay between the material's inherent shear strength and the external stresses applied to it, including those from natural or human-induced changes in the environment [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”