Analysis of the stability of slopes in weathered rocks

Analysis of slopes stability for weathered crystalline rocks like the schists of Caracas necessitates an approach distinct from procedures routinely applicable to hard, fractured rocks, on the one hand, or soils, on the other hand. Neither of the latter two materials can generally sustain tensile stresses whereas decomposed rocks often can. In order to examine the effects on stability of having tensile stresses within the upper part of a slope, a new concept of inter-slice forces is introduced such that both compressive and tensile forces are included. For the equilibrium analysis of steep slopes with simple morphology, an analytical solution was obtained. For more general cases, numerical procedures were adopted. Finally a method is suggested whereby one can calculate the depth and location of tensile cracks for rocks in different stages of weathering.