The aim of this study is to evaluate the stability and excavatability of newly stripped rock slopes (slope 1¿(SN¿1); slope 2¿(SN¿2); slope 3¿(SN¿3)) in a limestone quarry. These are new production sites with comparable geological formations as the southern part of the quarry where three planar failures were previously observed. For this reason, detailed field works were performed to determine the properties (spacing, roughness etc.) of discontinuities of rock slopes in the study area. Shear strength parameters of discontinuities, point load strength index (Is(5o)) and UCS of rock samples obtained from the study area were tested in the lab. Stability of slopes was assessed by kinematic analysis, orientation¿dependent and orientation¿independent slope stability probability classification (SSPC) system. The results of the SSPC system were compared with those of the slope mass rating (SMR). Kinematic analysis show that planar, wedge and toppling failures are unlikely in the slopes of the study area. Orientation¿dependent SSPC analysis has revealed that the SN¿2 would be exposed to sliding failure in case its dip angle is over 66°. The slopes were shown to have a probability of ¿%80 for stability provided that pneumatic hammer or blasting is used for excavation. However, the maximum slope height (Hmax) in blasting operations is required to be reduced for durable slope faces. Furthermore, SMR analysis has indicated that SN¿1 and SN¿2 will probably lose their stability when blasting is used as an excavation method. The rock slopes could be excavated by pneumatic hammer in that the excavatability of the rock was determined to be ¿easy ripping¿ in category. Based on the kinematic, SSPC and SMR analyses, the angles for a safe slope are proposed to be 70°, 66° and 75° with a slope height of 8 m for SN¿1, SN¿2 and SN¿3, respectively. |