Variation of cavity gas pressure in slopes with weak intercalation under seismic load

This study discussed how cavity gas pressure affects the stability of rock mass with fractures under well controlled laboratory experiments. Suddenly-created void space created and the induced gas pressures have been the focus of active researches because they are associated with fast movement of large-scale landslides. A shaking table experiment was set up to mimic weak-intercalated rock slope under seismic loads. Excessive cavity gas pressure would be produced in weak spots upon a sudden vibration load. The drastically elevated gas pressure is believed to be responsible for the creation of cavities surrounding the tension fracture. With dissipation of the excessive cavity gas pressure, the fractures are in unbounded closed-state. This observation explains that the slope body would be split and loosened under several aftershocks, and with the expanding of the cracks, the slope failure eventually occurred. The research of the mechanism of cavity gas pressure could provide a novel insight into the formation mechanism of landslides under seismic load and has implications for the disaster prevention and control theory for the slope stability evaluation.