Quantifying Cyclic Seismic Damage in Rock Slopes Using Discrete Element Modeling

ABSTRACT Current research on the damage evolution of slope rocks and slope stability under extreme conditions remains relatively limited. This study established discrete element numerical models for slopes with a weak interlayer and different joint orientations under cyclic seismic waves with 0.2 g peak acceleration, and investigated the cumulative damage process of slope rocks induced by cyclic earthquakes and the evolutionary patterns of contact force chains, displacement, and crack quantities during this process. The results demonstrate that under cyclic seismic loading, for the non‐jointed slope, the number of compressive force chains initially increased and then decreased, while tensile force chains showed an opposite trend; for the slope with bedding joints, horizontal cracks first developed and progressively connected with joint planes. As sliding occurred along the joint surfaces, vertical tensile forces developed in the slope with bedding joints, and when these forces exceeded the rock's tensile strength, vertical cracks formed and gradually propagated. Under cyclic seismic loading, the slope with bedding joints exhibited the highest number of cracks and the largest cumulative displacements, followed by the slope with anti–dip joints, while the non–jointed slope showed the minimal values. The findings of this study elucidate the rock damage process in slopes with a weak interlayer under cyclic seismic loading, and provide a theoretical foundation for dynamic stability analysis of rock slopes and prevention of landslide hazards induced by cyclic earthquakes.