Improved Probabilistic Kinematic Analysis Procedure Based on Finite Size Discontinuities and Its Application to a Rock Slope at Open Pit Mine in U.S.

AbstractAn improved probabilistic kinematic analysis procedure is suggested incorporating the six steps listed in the paper. The variability of the shear strength and discontinuity orientation is taken into account in the probabilistic kinematic analysis. The correlation that exists between the dip angle and dip direction is incorporated in modeling discontinuity orientation by treating it as a bivariate random variable. A part of an open pit mine in the United States was investigated by performing deterministic and probabilistic kinematic analyses. Field and laboratory investigations were conducted to obtain the needed geological and geotechnical data for the analyses. Important differences were obtained between the probabilistic and deterministic kinematic analyses results mainly because of the variability of the discontinuity orientations. The results confirmed that the designed value of the maximum safe slope angle (MSSA) for a particular region in the open pit mine calculated according to the determi...

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