WEDGE FAILURE

Lesson 6

6-1
LESSON 6 - WEDGE FAILURE

Learning Outcomes -
Identify Geometric Conditions for Wedge
Failure;
Analyze for Wedge Failure using Design Chart;
Apply Wedge Stability Conditions to Rock
Slope Design for Highways.

6-2
Wedge failure in very
strong granite with
widely spaced joints

(Upstate New York)

6-3
Joints

Wedge formed by
bedding and
orthogonal joints
in sandstone
(US60, Globe, AZ)

Bedding
6-4
Conditions for Wedge Failure

Two Intersecting Planes Behind Face

Line of Intersection Daylights on Face
Line of Intersection Dips >

6-5
Wedge Failure Geometry
Plane B
Plane A

Line of intersection

Flatter of the two

sliding planes is
Plane A 6-6
Stereoplot of Wedge Failure
Geometry
Plane B Plane A

Slope face
Friction cone

Direction of sliding

6-7
Analysis of Wedge Failure

Factor of Safety F, for Friction only

Re sisting Force
F
Displacing Forces

(R A RB ) tan
F
W sin i (6-1)

6-8
Wedge Stability Charts for Friction
Only

Factor of Safety

F A tan A B tan B

Plane A is Flatter of Two Sliding Planes

6-9
Wedge Stability Chart A

6-10
Wedge Stability Chart B

6-11
Student Exercise Wedge Stability
Analysis

Student Exercises No. 1B and No. 5

6-12
 Wedge failure in
sandstone with
orthogonal jointing

(Ankara, Turkey)

6-13
Wedge failure in shale with orthogonal
jointing; tension on right side
(Helena, MT) 6-14
Potential wedges formed by
discontinuous joints (US23, Flag Pond, TN)
6-15
Analysis of Wedge Failure

6-16
Stability Analysis of Wedge using
SWEDGE

6-17
SWEDGE analysis showing wedge geometry (red),
water forces (blue) and external force (purple).
6-18
 3: Upper slope

5: Tension crack

2: Plane B
1: Plane A

4: Face

Wedge formed by
five planes
(I-5, Grants Pass, OR)

LOI 6-19
Wedges
Planar
slides

6-20
Plane failure on bedding
6-21
Wedges formed
by bedding and
joints

6-22
LESSON 6 - WEDGE FAILURE

Learning Outcomes -
Identify Geometric Conditions for Wedge
Failure;
Analyze for Wedge Failure using Design Chart;
Apply Wedge Stability Conditions to Rock
Slope Design for Highways.

6-23