Study on Soil and Water Loss on Slope Surface and Slope Stability Under Rainfall Conditions

Abstract

For a binary structure slope with a soil layer on the top and a rock layer on the bottom, during the rainfall process, surface runoff will cause soil and water loss on the slope surface and damage to the slope environment. When rainwater infiltrates into the slope, the pore water pressure in the soil gradually increases, the shear strength of the soil decreases, and a weak zone is formed at the soil–rock interface, which has a significant impact on the stability of the slope. Therefore, to study the soil and water loss on the slope surface and the stability of the slope under rainfall conditions, we used theoretical analysis, indoor model tests, and numerical simulations to conduct a comprehensive exploration of this issue, and the following conclusions were formed: the pore water pressure in the shallow layer is greater than that in the deep layer, and the pore water pressure at the toe of the slope is greater than that at the top of the slope; as the slope gradient increases, the time when the pore water pressure at the toe of the slope begins to respond gradually speeds up; the slope displacement first occurs at the lower part of the slope, then in the middle, and finally at the upper part; the time when the displacement at each point on the slope surface begins to respond gradually speeds up with the increase in the slope; the damage form at a small slope gradient is mainly flow sliding, and the damage process is continuous; the damage form at a large slope gradient is mainly flow sliding and overall sliding, and the damage process is continuous and sudden; when the binary structure slope fails, the sliding surface includes the internal sliding surface of the soil and the sliding surface at the soil–rock interface, but when the slope gradient is small, the relative sliding at the soil–rock interface is small, and a continuous sliding surface cannot be formed; and when the slope gradients are small (30° and 40°), the displacement decreases continuously from top to bottom, and no overall sliding surface is formed. The larger values of plastic strain mainly occur in the upper and middle parts of the slope, there is no formation of a continuous plastic strain zone, and the damage mode is flow sliding; when the slope gradients are large (50° and 60°), the displacement is the largest in the upper part, and a large displacement also occurs in the lower part, forming a sliding surface that penetrates through the soil–soil and rock–soil layers. The larger values of plastic strain occur in the upper, middle, and lower parts of the slope, a continuous plastic strain zone is formed, and the damage modes are flow sliding and overall sliding; numerical simulations were carried out on a typical actual slope, and consistent results were obtained.