Motion characteristics of rockfall by combining field experiments and 3D discontinuous deformation analysis

Abstract Rockfall is a common geological disaster in rock slope projects. An understanding of the motion processes and characteristics of the rock blocks originating from a rockfall is of profound importance for comprehending the mechanism(s) of rockfall disasters. In this study, a field experimental system comprising binocular stereovision was developed for examining rockfalls, and a series of experiments on rockfall motion characteristics were performed on slopes near an abandoned section of the G318 national highway in Tibet, China. The indices of motion characteristics such as the lateral displacement, staying position, jumping height, and kinetic energy evolution of the blocks under different work conditions (e.g. different masses, shapes, falling heights, falling angles, and different geometrical characteristics in the slopes) were investigated by combining experiments with a three-dimensional discontinuous deformation analysis (3D DDA) method. The results show that the field experimental system has high accuracy in monitoring the block movement processes. The 3D DDA results agree well with those from the experiments, and the evolutions of the motion characteristics of the rockfall under different conditions are quantitatively obtained. Furthermore, the results provide insight into the laws of rockfall movements and dynamic impact processes, and lay a foundation for the design of rockfall protection measures and engineering approaches for disaster prevention and mitigation.