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<p>Excavations and retaining structures in the Federal District of Brazil are frequently constructed in highly weathered slate characterized by pronounced structural anisotropy and well-developed discontinuity networks. Weathering preserves the inherited rock fabric while progressively degrading the matrix, generating a transitional geomaterial that behaves neither as a typical soil nor as an intact rock. This study integrates geological characterization, laboratory testing, field monitoring, and numerical modeling to investigate the behavior of slate-derived saprolites and the mechanisms governing excavation performance. The results show that shear strength and deformation are strongly controlled by the orientation and saturation condition of cleavage-related discontinuities. Direct shear tests revealed brittle behavior, with peak strength mobilized at very small displacements (approximately 1–2&#xa0;mm), followed by pronounced post-peak degradation. Field monitoring demonstrated that excavation performance is governed by the interaction between structural anisotropy, discontinuity conditions, and excavation-induced stress relief. Numerical analyses further showed that equivalent isotropic models systematically underestimate deformations, whereas models incorporating structural discontinuities and post-peak strength provide a more realistic representation of the observed response. The results demonstrate that highly weathered slate behaves as a transitional geomaterial whose excavation response is governed by the combined effects of structural anisotropy, saturation, and post-peak strength degradation. By integrating laboratory testing, field monitoring, and numerical back-analysis, the study demonstrates that explicit consideration of structural anisotropy and post-peak strength degradation is essential to reproduce field-observed excavation performance. The proposed framework provides practical guidance for parameter selection and stability assessment in excavations developed in anisotropic weathered slate formations.</p>

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Excavation Response in Anisotropic Weathered Slate

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月3日

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  • Carlos Medeiros Silva,
  • Rafael Cerqueira Silva,
  • Emerson Batista Silva,
  • Germán Vinueza,
  • Renato Pinto da Cunha

摘要

Excavations and retaining structures in the Federal District of Brazil are frequently constructed in highly weathered slate characterized by pronounced structural anisotropy and well-developed discontinuity networks. Weathering preserves the inherited rock fabric while progressively degrading the matrix, generating a transitional geomaterial that behaves neither as a typical soil nor as an intact rock. This study integrates geological characterization, laboratory testing, field monitoring, and numerical modeling to investigate the behavior of slate-derived saprolites and the mechanisms governing excavation performance. The results show that shear strength and deformation are strongly controlled by the orientation and saturation condition of cleavage-related discontinuities. Direct shear tests revealed brittle behavior, with peak strength mobilized at very small displacements (approximately 1–2 mm), followed by pronounced post-peak degradation. Field monitoring demonstrated that excavation performance is governed by the interaction between structural anisotropy, discontinuity conditions, and excavation-induced stress relief. Numerical analyses further showed that equivalent isotropic models systematically underestimate deformations, whereas models incorporating structural discontinuities and post-peak strength provide a more realistic representation of the observed response. The results demonstrate that highly weathered slate behaves as a transitional geomaterial whose excavation response is governed by the combined effects of structural anisotropy, saturation, and post-peak strength degradation. By integrating laboratory testing, field monitoring, and numerical back-analysis, the study demonstrates that explicit consideration of structural anisotropy and post-peak strength degradation is essential to reproduce field-observed excavation performance. The proposed framework provides practical guidance for parameter selection and stability assessment in excavations developed in anisotropic weathered slate formations.