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Stepped Open-Pit Mine Bench Slope with Daylighting Fault Scarp under Gravity
Jointed siltstone rock massif with 2 stepped benches (65° face angle) cut by an inclined 35° daylighting fault scarp under 1.5 MN gravity surcharge.
Assess slope stability against planar sliding along a persistent daylighting geological discontinuity, determine kinematic displacement vectors towards the open excavation, and locate critical shear zones along the fault trace to design slope monitoring prisms and catch berms.
1. Geometry & FEA Mesh
- •3D solid rock block (2400 × 1200 × 1600 mm) with two benches (lower crest at Z = 700 mm, upper crest at Z = 1400 mm) and a 35° inclined daylighting fault plane
- •Material: Jointed Weathered Siltstone / Schist (E = 16.0 GPa, ν = 0.28, density 2500 kg/m³)
- •Mesh: 40,051 linear tetrahedral elements (TET4) with 8,565 nodes (25,695 DOFs)
- •Conformal boundary mapping: bench crests, 65° bench faces, 35° fault scarp, pit floor, foundation base, and lateral roller confinement faces
2. Loads & Boundary Conditions
- •Foundation base at Z = 0 fully fixed; rear boundary fixed against horizontal movement (Ux = 0)
- •Lateral side boundaries roller-supported (Uy = 0); top bench crest loaded with vertical gravitational surcharge Fz = -1.50 MN
- •Bench faces, pit floor, and daylighting fault scarp are traction-free boundaries
3. Simulation Results & Findings
- ✓Maximum displacement |u| = 0.146 mm directed forward and downward (+X, -Z) along the 35° sliding plane towards the pit toe
- ✓Peak von Mises stress σ_vm = 1.81 MPa concentrated at the daylighting fault toe
- ✓Direct kinematic proof of gravity-driven wedge slide failure mechanism; reaction equilibrium balance residual is 0.00%
Crucial for open-pit mining geotechnicians, highway embankment engineers, and quarry operators to verify slope stability, prevent bench failures, and satisfy mine safety regulatory compliance.
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