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This paper presents the failure analysis of layered clayey slopes with emphasis on the combined effect of the clay's weakening behavior and the seismic loading using the particle finite element method (PFEM). Diverse failure mechanisms have been disclosed via the PFEM modelling when the strain-weakening behavior of clay is concerned. In contrast to a single layered slope exhibiting either a shallow or a deep failure mode, a layered slope may undergo both failure modes with a time interval in between. Seismic loadings also enlarge the scale of slope failure in clays with weakening behavior. The failure of a real layered slope (i.e. the 1988 Saint-Adelphe landslide, Canada) triggered by the Saguenay earthquake is also studied in this paper. The simulation results reveal that the choice of the strain-softening value controls the slip surface of the landslide and the amplification effect is important in the triggering of the landslide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spalling damage can pose significant risks during the construction of underground excavations in brittle rock. While deterministic analyses have traditionally been used in the design of these structures, reliability-based design (RBD) methods provide a more rational approach to quantify spalling risk by directly incorporating input uncertainty into the design process and quantifying variable ground response. This paper presents a new RBD approach to evaluate the excavation response and support performance for a tunnel in brittle ground. Guidance for the selection of appropriate parameters for variable brittle materials is provided using a combination of the damage initiation and spalling limit method and theories of microcrack initiation. System performance is then evaluated using a proposed global response surface method (GRSM) coupled with the first-order reliability method, random sampling and finite element analysis. The proposed GRSM provides a computationally efficient way to evaluate the probability of failure for various limit states, allowing for the selection of appropriate design parameters such as minimum bolt length and required bolt capacity during early stages of design. To demonstrate the usefulness of this approach, a preliminary design option for a proposed deep geologic repository located in Canada was assessed. Numerical analyses were completed using finite element modeling to determine the depth of spalling around the excavation and support loads over the range of possible rock mass and in situ stress conditions. The results of these analyses were then used to assess support performance and make support recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]