Rock Slopes Stability Analysis along the Qaywan-Mokba Road in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Northeastern Iraq

Abstract

The current study includes an evaluation of rock slope stability along the Qaywan Mountain (anticline) main road 20 km north of Sulaimani City, which is considered an important task due to the effect of slope instability on human lives. The stability of rock slopes along road cuttings that connect Sulaimaniyah city to the Sharbazher area a beautiful tourist area. Thus, it is crucial to assess a slope's stability in its current state or when it is being used, as well as the procedure for determining why a collapse occurs. Seven stations (slope locations) were chosen, and kinematic analysis and the slope mass rating system were used to research and analyze the potential level of stability of each, using DIPS v6.008 software and SMRTool – v205. Based on the Kinematic analysis, stations 2, 4, 6, and 7 may experience planar sliding and wedge sliding, stations 1 and 2 may experience flexural toppling, and station 2 may experience direct toppling. Slope mass rating and continuous-slope mass rating using SMR-Tool software showed that the worst condition for flexural toppling at stations 1, 2 and 3 ranges from 44 to 58 for slope mass rating and continuous-slope mass rating, also wedge sliding at stations 2, 4, 6 and 7 ranges from 59 to 69 for slope mass rating, and ranges from 59 to 66 for continuous-slope mass rating, so the rock mass under study falls in class lll of normal slope type, which they are in partially stable condition with failure probability of 0.4, and worst condition for planar sliding at stations 4, and 7 ranges from 12 to 15 for slope mass rating and 16 for continuous-slope mass rating. Hence, the rock mass falls in class V of the very dangerous slope type, which is in a completely unstable condition with failure probability of 0.9. Also, planar sliding at stations 2 and 6 ranges from 26 to 34 for slope mass rating, and ranges from 21 to 29 for continuous-slope mass rating, so the rock mass falls in class lV of danger slope type, which they are in unstable condition with failure probability of 0.6.