Influence of Angle of Internal Friction and Slope Face Angle on Kinematic Failures in Marble Mines: A Predictive Approach

Abstract

This study investigates the kinematic stability of slopes in two opencast marble mines, focusing on the variation of dip angles of the slope and angles of internal friction on overall slope stability. The research draws on joint orientation data collected from the mines to perform detailed kinematic analyses, examining different slope faces at various dip directions that gave a probability of failure. A crucial part of the study involved statistical analysis by curve-fitting model to establish a relationship between the dip angle (or overall pit angle) and the angle of internal friction. The relationship was found to be nonlinear following a trend of 3rd-degree polynomial equation. Additionally, sensitivity analysis was conducted to further understand the relationship between these critical parameters. The sensitivity index was calculated by finite difference method where the parameters dip angle and angle of internal friction were taken into consideration by keeping one of the parameter constants and varying the other parameter and vice versa to find out the dependency of the varying parameter on the probability of failure. This multifaceted approach not only validates the importance of these variables, but also provides a predictive framework for assessing slope failure risks. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Indian Geotechnical Society 2025.