Stability analysis of four-phase soil-rock mixture slopes by the nodal-based continuous-discontinuous deformation analysis method combining a generalized random media reconstruction technique

Soil-rock mixtures (SRMs) can be regarded as a four-phase medium consisting of the soil matrix, rock blocks, soil-rock interfaces, and rock-rock interfaces. Most previous studies on the stability analysis of SRM slopes did not consider these interfaces. This paper combines the generalized random media reconstruction technique with the nodal-based continuous-discontinuous deformation analysis method (NCDDAM), effectively accomplishing the modeling and stability analysis of four-phase SRM slopes. Based on the random field theory, the generalized random media reconstruction technique divides the discretized slope model into the soil matrix region and rock block regions, with rock block regions further subdivided into sub-rock block regions. Artificial joint elements in NCDDAM are deployed at the interfaces between these regions, simulating the nonlinear contact behavior of both soil-rock and rock-rock interfaces. By adjusting random field parameters, this technique can effectively change the content, size, main axis direction of rock blocks, and the inclination angle of rock-rock interfaces, achieving SRM slopes with different four-phase distributions without constructing a series of random structural models. Utilizing the enriched NCDDAM, this study explores the influence of interface-related factors on the stability of SRM slopes, offering some valuable insights for their stability assessment.