Systematic studies on the deformation and strength stability of a high slope at a hydroelectric project

How to solve the stability problem of a hydroelectric project has always attracted much attention of engineering geologists. In this paper,a systematic analytical method for the stability evaluation of a high slope is put forward,including engineering geology model establishment,2-D numerical modeling with distinct element method and limit equilibrium method. This paper has the high slope of BT20 at the dam location area of Jinlingtai hydroelectric plant as the research case. At first,the engineering geological characteristics of the high slope is analyzed in detail,and one engineering geological model is established;secondly,the software UDEC is used to analyze the deformation characteristics of the high slope to determine the critical sliding surface,and the results accord with those conclusions based on the engineering geological analysis;finally the Modified Sarma method is adopted to calculate the safety factors of the slope under different engineering conditions. The sensitivity analysis shows that seismic actions and rise of underground water level have most dangers to the stability of the slope.