STABILITY ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE-BLOCK SLIDING SURFACES

A relatively simple vectorial method has been developed to tackle poly gonal sliding surfaces involving two or more free blocks. Goodman's co ncept of ''two-block sliding'' mechanism has been adopted whereby a tr ansfer of an interaction force is activated from an upper unstable act ive block to an adjacent lower stable passive block. Furthermore, Good man's graphical approach has been automated by the vectorial method an d extended to handle multiple-block sliding surfaces. The entire analy sis may be carried out on a micro-computer and has been proven to be a pplicable to a field case study involving slope excavations in weather ed sedimentary rock.