A new method for constructing finite difference model of soil-rock mixture slope and its stability analysis

A new method for constructing a digital model of soil-rock mixture is proposed in this paper. Using this method, rock blocks of arbitrary shapes can be considered and the construction of soil-rock mixtures with different block size distribution and rock content can be realized. First, through digital image processing, a large number of rock block contours that are analogous with reality are obtained. Then, a corresponding rock block library is established. Next, an improved intersection detection algorithm based on axis-aligned bounding box is developed to construct the digital model of the soil-rock mixture slope. Furthermore, the stabilities of soil-rock mixture slopes with different block size distribution and rock content are investigated. The results show that the soil-rock mixture slope exhibits multiple sliding zone under the combined action of various plastic zone expansion. And the influence of block size distribution and rock content on the stability of soil-rock mixture slope has a coupling effect. •A novel rock block intersection detection algorithm is used to generate digital model of soil-rock mixture slope.•The intersection detection algorithm proposed in this paper is applicable to block of arbitrary shape.•Numerical models of soil-rock mixture slopes can be constructed with specific block size distribution and rock block content.