Investigation of retrogressive and progressive slope failure mechanisms using the material point method

Abstract

Retrogressive and progressive slope failures are a dynamic process, in the sense that they involve a progressively changing scenario. This paper uses the contemporary material point method (MPM), to provide a view of how such failures develop. Two main scenarios are presented: (a) a relatively small slope, which, when subjected to an initial failure, is steepened, leading to the initiation of further failures retrogressing backwards; and (b) a long slope, where an initial perturbation (e.g. an excavation) triggers a series of failures that can retrogressively move up-slope.