01590719

Component

The study area is a major cut on a new 6-lane highway that is currently under construction in the Sultanate of Oman. The road is approximately 250 km long and connects the towns of Bidbid and Sur. The cut area has twelve 8 m-high benches with an overall slope angle of approximately 72°, and excavation work is in progress to create three more benches, resulting in a total cut height of approximately 120 m above the road base level. The slope is primarily composed of ophiolites that consist of serpentinized and tectonized peridotites and gabbros. To mitigate geological hazards, various engineering solutions were recommended to ensure time/cost efficiency and the long-term stability of the overall slope, as well as minimizing bench-scale related instabilities. Data on the characteristics of the rock and discontinuities were collected using scan-line surveys. These data were utilized to perform rock mass classification, kinematic analysis, and slope stability (2-D) analyses for different scenarios. The analyses of the slope indicated that, in terms of global stability, critical conditions or failure will not occur. However, t bench-scale rock mass instability due to the presence of discontinuities is present; this may generate wedge sliding, planar sliding and toppling. Based on these results, recommended procedures included scaling, removal of unstable blocks, bolting, lining of berms, and rock-fall barriers.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFP10 Standing Committee on Engineering Geology.

01584066

16-4875

English

19p

2016

Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; Photos; References; Tables

Embankments; Geotechnical engineering; Recommendations; Road construction; Rock mechanics; Slope stability; Slopes

Oman

Construction; Geotechnology; Highways; I43: Rock Mechanics; I50: Construction and Supervision of Construction

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2016 Paper #16-4875

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 12 2016 6:08PM