Rock Fall Protection Measures of High Cuts in Chalky Limestone, Northern Border of the Pyramids Plateau, Egypt

Abstract

Abstract—the northern border of the Pyramids Plateau is an attractive location for new touristic resorts and developing settlements. This area suffers from extensive extension cracks that have resulted from uncontrolled blasting in limestone quarrying. The old quarrying activities resulted in unstable high rock cuts which impose safety risks during the construction activities in this area. The geological conditions of the rock units and the discontinuity patterns have been mapped and measured in detail. A stereonet failure envelope technique is used to evaluate the instability of the existing rock cuts. The geotechnical parameters of the existing rock units are studied based on some boreholes drilled in the area of study. The discontinuities failure envelope analysis, geotechnical parameters of rock cuts as well as survey of the extension cracks, slope stability models are used to study the stability and to develop optimum engineering solutions for protection and stabilization measures of the existing rock cuts.