Numerical analysis of rainfall infiltration in the slope with a fracture

1 Introduction It has been widely accepted that the rainfall infiltration through fractures is one of the most probable factors for slope failure. Recent studies have focused on the relationships between rainfall and slope failure, but the mechanisms of rainfall-induced slope failures have not been fully understood. As a result, many experiments and theoretical studies have been carried out to simulate the infiltration in the fractured soil[1—3]. Aimed at the infiltration in unsaturated rock …

Numerical analysis of rainfall infiltration in the slope with a fracture

With the finite volume method, a 2D numerical model for seepage in unsaturated soil has been established to study the rainfall infiltration in the fractured slope. The result shows that more rain may infiltrate into the slope due to existing fracture and then the pore pressure rises correspondingly. Very probably, it is one of the crucial factors accounting for slope failure. Furthermore a preliminary study has been conducted to investigate the influence of various fracture and rainfall factors such as the depth, width and location of a crack, surface condition, rainfall intensity and duration. Pore pressure and water volumetric content during the transient seepage are carefully examined to reveal the intrinsic mechanism.