This case study shows that how a Block-In-Matrix (BIM) slope can

be evaluated against a tricky sliding failure.

Analysis of a BIM slope with Phase2- Rocsience

A schematic view of a BIM A failure in BIM slope –

(Dr. Edmund Medley: http://bimrocks.geoengineer.org) South sector of Sungon open pit mine
 To construct embankment Seydon dam in Iran, a 7.5-meter diameter diversion and a 4.5-meter diameter power
tunnel were designed in left side of the dam. Plan and sections of these tunnels are presented in the following maps.

Dam Body

Section of power tunnel

Diversion tunnel

Power tunnel Section of diversion tunnel

Portal of tunnels
Surface and sub-surface geotechnical investigations showed that both diversion and power tunnels of the dam and
their portals must be excavated in BIM (Block-In-Matrix) materials as can be seen in the following photos.

Drilling Machine

BIM slope – Portal of diversion and power tunnels Geotechincal investigation in BIM slope
(Seydon dam, Iran) (Left side of Seydon dam, Iran)

A 2-meter limestone block in soil matrix in S1 borehole

The following geological section explains that a 81-meter slope must be excavated in
exit parts of these tunnels which consists of 60-meter BIM and 20-meter Marlstone.

A critical cross section from tunnels portal

To clarify the mechanism of the potential failure in exit portal of the tunnels, a research was carried out in rock
mechanics department of University of Tehran. In first step, a full-automatic titling table was designed and
constructed for physical modelling of BIM slopes as can be seen in this slide.
Then several physical models were built and tested by the tilting table.
 In third step, the physical models were evaluated by numerical modelling (FDM via FLAC3D)
and outcomes of these models were verified.

Numerical modeling of
physical prototypes by
FLAC3D
In final step, the results of the physical and numerical modelling are assessed and compared.
The outcome of this study can be summarize as:
(1) Blocks increase the safety factor of a BIM slope.
(2) There is a reasonable agreement between VBP (Volumetric Block Proportion) and safety factor of a BIM slope.
(3) If a BIM slope is analyzed with matrix-only, its real safety factor can be determined with the following normalized
graph.
According to surface and subsurface investigations, VBP of Seydon’s tunnels portal was 38%. Therefore it
first was analyzed with matrix-only by SLIDE and, then, its real safety factor was normalized with mentioned
graph. The graph shows that FoS of the matrix-only slope can be increase 0.15 percent. Hence the allowable
FoS of the slope can be decreased by 1.15 (from 1.5 to 1.3). However, based on these analyses, all BIM
materials in this portal have potential of failure and re-sloping also cannot solve the problem.
Finally, these tunnels were shifted from left side to the right side of the dam, where a strong limestone had
a vertical outcrop.
Allowable FoS of Matrix= (1.5/1.15)=1.3
Sliding surface with FoS less than 1.3

Safety Factor
0.000
0.500
1.000
1.15
1.500
2.000
2.500
3.000
0.523
38%
3.500
4.000
4.500
5.000
5.500
6.000+

Limestone outcrop in right side

of the dam near river for new portal
Results of this research was published in Engineering Geology, Volume 254, 2 May 2019, Pages 13-
24. For more information, you can read the paper.