A critical review of rock slope failure mechanisms: The importance of structural geology

Geological structures such as folds, faults, and discontinuities play a critical role in the stability and behaviour of both natural and engineered rock slopes. Although engineering geologists have long recognised the importance of structural geology in slopes, it remains a significant challenge to integrate structural geological mapping and theory into all stages of engineering projects. We emphasise the importance of structural geology to slope stability assessments, reviewing how structures control slope failure mechanisms, how engineering geologists measure structures and include them in slope stability analyses, and how numerical simulations of slopes incorporate geological structures and processes. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.