LAUSR

A conventional instability of rock slopes in layer rock strata is flexural toppling, which occurs due to bending stresses. The stability analysis of flexural toppling failure has been studied vastly. Firstly in this study, a literature review of this failure is introduced, and then the Sarma’s method is defined. Using Sarma’s method, a new analytical solution is offered for the stability analysis of flexural toppling. Physical modelling of this failure is conducted by Amini et al. (Int J Min Geo-Eng 49(2):155–171, 2015). Using UDEC software as distinct element method, the experimental model was analyzed numerically. In numerical modelling, the Voronoi joint model was applied to simulate the failure. Then, the proposed analytical method was evaluated for this physical model. Comparison between the current suggested approach with the results of the pre-existing experimental model, two analytical methods, and numerical modelling, demonstrates that the proposed analytical method has an acceptable agreement. So, this method can be used to analyze the flexural toppling failure.