Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation to characterize the nonlinear accelerated disaster process of rocky reservoir banks

Due to the particular morphology and complex environments in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA), the dynamic failure process of rocky reservoir banks is difficult to quantify, especially the transition relationship between progressive deformation and sudden failure. In this context, the Guanmuling dangerous rock mass (GDRM) in the TGRA was taken as an example to study the evolution model of rocky reservoir banks. Combined with the indoor tests and field surveys, the damage evolution and the critical state of GDRM were determined through theoretical deduction. Afterwards, the mechanical parameters of the critical state were extracted, and the numerical calculation was used to analyse the dynamic collapse of the rocky reservoir banks. It can be found that the disintegration of the rocky reservoir banks was caused by the combined action of the bias pressure under the self-weight and the deterioration of the base rock. Moreover, the statistical analysis of the force bond fracture was used to characterize the evolution process of rocky reservoir banks, which can effectively reflect the nonlinear transformation stages. The related contents can provide a novel approach to quantifying the collapse process of unstable rocks in a complex mechanical environment.