Stability analysis and remedial design of two road cuttings in North Queensland based on remote geotechnical mapping using digital photogrammetry

Authors: Ortega, I; Booth, PW; Darras, J Download Paper

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1308_72_Ortega

Cite As:
Ortega, I, Booth, PW & Darras, J 2013, 'Stability analysis and remedial design of two road cuttings in North Queensland based on remote geotechnical mapping using digital photogrammetry', in PM Dight (ed.), Slope Stability 2013: Proceedings of the 2013 International Symposium on Slope Stability in Open Pit Mining and Civil Engineering, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1033-1043, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1308_72_Ortega



Abstract:
Remote geotechnical mapping of two large rock cuttings on a vital transportation corridor in North Queensland was undertaken to provide input data for stability analysis and design of stabilisation elements. The mapping approach described utilised state-of-the-art digital photogrammetry tools to allow the collection of structural data from large areas where direct access to the slopes for conventional (tape measure and compass) mapping was either not possible or very limited without the use of rope access methods. The photogrammetric method employed allowed the mapping to be completed rapidly and safely, without affecting the serviceability of the roadway during the site investigation. It provided measurements of the orientation, spacing and persistence of the rock discontinuities that control the stability of the cuttings. It also provided detailed digital terrain models (DTMs) of the slopes, which provided critical topographic information for input to the analysis and design processes. In recent years, the use of digital photogrammetry as a tool to collect structural and geotechnical mapping data from large rock cuttings has become commonplace in the mining industry. The application of this method to civil engineering problems on the other hand has been far less common, but comes as a natural progression as this technology becomes more user-friendly and cost-effective.

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