A Case Study on the Effects of 3D Visualized Engineering Geological Model Uncertainty on Dip-Slope Stability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64862/Keywords:
Engineering geological model, Uncertainty quantification, VisualizationAbstract
Dip-slope failures often threaten infrastructure stability, and discrepancies between predicted and observed slope behavior frequently arise due to geological model uncertainty. This study presents a case-based workflow, developed from a real dip-slope failure, integrating borehole interpretation, Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), and Monte Carlo simulation to assess the influence of geological uncertainty on slope stability. Potential sliding surfaces were generated by sampling weak-layer intervals from borehole data and modeling their spatial variability using GPR with a radial basis function (RBF) kernel. The results indicate that geometric uncertainty in sliding surfaces significantly affects stability conditions, particularly regarding slope orientation and depth. A 3D visualization workflow using open-source tools (PyVista, VTK) integrates multiple simulated surfaces within a GIS framework, allowing intuitive identification of zones with high geological uncertainty. The proposed approach provides a reproducible and data-driven framework that bridges geological interpretation and uncertainty visualization, supporting more proactive slope management decisions.
References
Einstein, H. H., and Baecher, G. B. (1983). Probabilistic and statistical methods in engineering geology: Specific methods and examples part I: Exploration. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 16(1), 39–72. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01030217
Rasmussen, C. E., and Williams, C. K. I. (2008). Gaussian processes for machine learning. MIT Press.
Stead, D., and Wolter, A. (2015). A critical review of rock slope failure mechanisms: The importance of structural geology. Journal of Structural Geology, 74, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2015.02.002
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Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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