The Impact of Cavity Effects on Slope Deformation and Failure Under StrongEarthquake Conditions

Earthquakes are one of the main causes of landslide disasters. The existing cavities in the slope will generate the effects of cavities under the action of earthquakes, seriously affecting the stability of the slope. Therefore, revealing the mechanism by which the effects of cavities caused by the action of earthquakes lead to the instability of the slope has significant practical significance. Through shaking table physical model tests and numerical simulation tests using the discrete element method, the development and destruction evolution process of cracks in the slope with cavities under different seismic amplitudes and frequencies were systematically analyzed. The amplification effect of the excess cavity gas generated by strong earthquakes on the displacement and acceleration of the slope was also discussed in detail. The research results show: The slopes with cavities failed under a vibration intensity of 0.5g at 10Hz. Due to the effect of the cavity, the excess cavity gas generated by it amplified the dynamic response of the surrounding rock mass, thereby intensifying the failure of the rock mass and the expansion of the cracks. Under strong earthquake conditions, the failure mechanism of the cavity-containing slope is that the fractured rock mass around the cavity continuously interacts with the excess cavity gas, thereby causing the rock mass to gradually deteriorate. The research results can further refine the deformation and failure mode of slopes under strong earthquakes, providing a reference for actual engineering projects and landslide prevention.