Analysis of the effect of freeze–thaw cycles on the degradation of mechanical parameters and slope stability

The changes that occur to the physicomechanical features of rocks during freeze–thaw cycles are crucial to research on the stability of slope engineering in cold regions. In this study, granite specimens underwent freeze–thaw cycling and uniaxial compression testing. The mechanics of the freeze–thaw deterioration were analyzed based on the changes that occurred in the uniaxial compression strength, stress–strain curve, freeze–thaw coefficient, and degree of weathering of the rocks during freeze–thaw cycles. The results were applied in an analysis of the slope stability of a rock mass in an open-pit mine, and the safety factors of the slope before and after freeze–thaw cycling were computed with the Hoek–Brown empirical criterion. The results show that the mass of the granite increased and its uniaxial compression strength decreased after freeze–thaw cycling. The safety factor of the slope decreased due to the freeze–thaw cycling. This research thus shows the importance of studying the mechanics of slope engineering deterioration in cold regions.