Ning Bao

Layered rock slope failures frequently occur in mountainous regions and cause catastrophic disasters worldwide, yet their recognition and prediction remain challenging, particularly under complex seismic excitations. A generalized physical model of a dip-bedded rock slope, incorporating joints and other discontinuities, was established on a shaking table and subjected to a seismic sequence to investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of dynamic response and failure processes. Based on the experimental results, temporal variations of seismic amplification along slope height and relative positions to slope surface were presented in time domain, together with the final failure patterns under sinusoidal excitations. The results indicate that aftershocks with lower seismic amplitudes can contribute to damage progression, even if they produce less deformation than main shocks. Moreover, the slope surface-free effect exhibits a clear but nonlinear height-dependent profile. Gently dipping layered slopes display complex failure mechanisms governed by multiple discontinuities rather than solely by dip bedding planes. Notably, variations in time domain preceded visible slope deformation, suggesting their potential use for early-warning stage of impending rock slope failures and mitigation of geological hazards.

《地球科学》(ISSN 1000-2383;CN42-1874/P) (原刊名《地球科学——中国地质大学学报》ISSN 1000-2383;CN42-1233/P)，创刊于1957年，是由教育部主管、中国地质大学主办的综合性地学学术理论期刊，月刊，2015年改名为《地球科学》,她以反映中国地质大学教学与科研最新的、高水平的基础地质、应用地质、资源与环境地质及地学工程技术研究成果为主要任务。

The trapdoor/trapdoor-like model test has been widely utilized to investigate the evolution of soil arching. However, the primary focus of previous studies has been on the mechanical and deformation behaviors of the arching field under the single-trapdoor condition, while the interaction of soil arching between adjacent trapdoors has not been well understood. In this paper, a series of discrete numerical models based on the plane–strain laboratory trapdoor test were established to investigate the interaction effect, with respect to stress redistributions, particle movement, anisotropy of contact forces, and energy regime. The effects of motion mode, namely the simultaneous and nonsimultaneous movement, and the spacing (B) between adjacent trapdoors on the arching performance were examined. The numerical results revealed that the simultaneous movement of twin trapdoor slightly influences earth pressures resting on the surface of both trapdoors. The deformation pattern is deeply influenced by a narrow spacing of 0.25B and characterized by two arching fields interacting with each other, resulting in a noticeable subsidence at the crest. The subsequent lowering of the second-lowered trapdoor under the nonsimultaneous movement condition increases pressures resting on the first-lowered trapdoor, yields additional settlement within the former arching field, and distorts adjacent arched force chains. An increase in spacing from 0.25B to 1B is beneficial for reducing the pressure increment, decreasing the arching deformations, minimizing the rotation of the major principal direction, and decreasing the friction energy distribution density above the stationary supports.

In this study, 2D and 3D soil arching phenomena associated with piled embankments were evaluated by performing a series of discrete numerical analyses usin