The effect of tensile strength on the stability of rock slopes
Abstract
The stability of a rock slope is generally considered a function of the shear strength
of the rupture surface. In natural slopes the rupture surfaces are often discontinuous
and may be composed of fractures and joints separated by blocks of massive rock.
In those situations the strength of the rupture surface is composed of three strength
components: tensile strength, cohesion and friction. While the effect of the shear
strength components, cohesion and friction, on slope stability are well understood,
little research has been carried out on the role of tensile strength in rock slope
stability