Rockfalls are a major and essentially unpredictable sources of danger, particularly along transportation routes (roads and railways). Thus, the assessment of their probability of occurrence is a major challenge for risk management. From a qualitative perspective, it is known that rockfalls occur mainly during periods of rain, snowmelt, or freeze–thaw. Nevertheless, from a quantitative perspective, these generally assumed correlations between rockfalls and their possible meteorological triggering events are often difficult to identify because (i) rockfalls are too rare for the use of classical statistical analysis techniques and (ii) not all intensities of triggering factors have the same probability. In this study, we propose a new approach for investigating the correlation of rockfalls with rain, freezing periods, and strong temperature variations. This approach is tested on three French rockfall databases, the first of which exhibits a high frequency of rockfalls (approximately 950 events over 11 years), whereas the other two databases are more typical (approximately 140 events over 11 years). These databases come from (1) national highway RN1 on Réunion, (2) a railway in Burgundy, and (3) a railway in Auvergne. Whereas a basic correlation analysis is only able to highlight an already obvious correlation in the case of the "rich" database, the newly suggested method appears to detect correlations even in the "poor" databases. Indeed, the use of this method confirms the positive correlation between rainfall and rockfalls in the Réunion database. This method highlights a correlation between cumulative rainfall and rockfalls in Burgundy, and it detects a correlation between the daily minimum temperature and rockfalls in the Auvergne database. This new approach is easy to use and also serves to determine the conditional probability of rockfall according to a given meteorological factor. The approach will help to optimize risk management in the studied areas based on their meteorological conditions.

In this study, bonded-particle models were used to simulate the intact rock behavior of Westerly granite. Two three-dimensional models were tested: the enhanced bonded-particle model (EBPM) and the flat-joint contact model (FJCM). To calibrate both models, a new standard procedure was developed. The results of the simulations of the models were compared with the intact rock behavior determined by laboratory tests, including elastic parameters, peak and threshold envelopes, and postpeak behavior. From this study, it can be concluded that the FJCM better represents the mechanical behavior of Westerly granite rock, especially at the low to intermediate confining pressures. Based on this work, it is recommended to use the FJCM to model the behavior of brittle rock at the low to intermediate confining pressures.

The stability graph method is widely used for open stope mine design. During the development of the method the effect of induced stresses were included by using two-dimensional or limited three-dimensional stress analysis. In this paper, three-dimensional numerical models are used to develop new induced stress curves, and to evaluate the effects on the stability graph method and open stope mine design. Significant differences are identified for the estimated stresses at the wall of the stopes, leading to an increase of the size of the stopes.

A thermodynamic analysis of the synthesis of face-centred cubic (fcc) and body-centred cubic (bcc) solid solutions of Ti-based alloys produced by mechanical alloying was performed. Four Ti-based alloys were analysed: (i) Ti-13Ta-3Sn (at.%), (ii) Ti-30Nb-13Ta (at.%), (iii) Ti-20Nb-30Ta (wt. %) and (iv) Ti-33Nb-4Mn (at.%). The milled powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, and the crystallite size and microstrain were determined using the Rietveld and Williamson–Hall methods. The Gibbs free energy of mixing for the formation of a solid solution of the three ternary systems (Ti-Ta-Sn, Ti-Nb-Ta and Ti-Nb-Mn) was calculated using an extended Miedema’s model, applying the Materials Analysis Applying Thermodynamics (MAAT) software. The values of the activity of each component were determined by MAAT. It was found that increasing the density of crystalline defects, such as dislocations and crystallite boundaries, changed the solubility limit in these ternary systems. Therefore, at longer milling times, the Gibbs free energy increases, so there is a driving force to form solid solutions from elemental powders. Finally, there is agreement between experimental and thermodynamic data confirming the formation of solid solutions.

Plane failure along inclined joints is a classical mechanism involved in rock slope movements. It is known that the number, size and position of rock bridges along the potential failure plane are of prime importance when assessing slope stability. However, the rock bridge failure phenomenology itself has not been comprehensively understood up to now. In this study, the propagation cascade effect of rock bridge failure leading to catastrophic block sliding is studied and the influence of rock bridge position in regard to the rockfall failure mode (shear or tension) is highlighted. Numerical modelling using the distinct element method (UDEC, Itasca) is undertaken in order to assess the stability of a 10 m³ rock block lying on an inclined joint with a dip angle of 40 or 80^∘. The progressive failure of rock bridges is simulated assuming a Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion and considering stress transfers from a failed bridge to the surrounding ones. Two phases of the failure process are described: (1) a stable propagation of the rock bridge failures along the joint and (2) an unstable propagation (cascade effect) of rock bridge failures until the block slides down. Additionally, the most critical position of rock bridges has been identified. It corresponds to the top of the rock block for a dip angle of 40^∘ and to its bottom for an angle of 80^∘.