Digital Innovations in Slope Stability: Addressing South Africa’s Unique Challenges

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-900-1_64How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Slope Stability; Digital Innovation; Digital twin

Abstract

Slope stability in South Africa presents unique challenges, significantly influenced by the country’s critical infrastructure and distinctive geological features. The road network is a lifeline for communities, connecting citizens to essential destinations such as workplaces, schools, healthcare facilities. Detours are often located at considerable distances and the lack of alternative routes highlights the need for reliable and safe slopes. It is therefore imperative to minimize road closures due to rock falls and ensure the stability and safety of existing roadways. Designing effective solutions for unstable road slopes is challenging due to access constraints and adverse conditions that hinder data collection, which often results in conservative designs. Innovative methods are therefore required to obtain reliable, and up-to-date data when on-site surveys cannot be achieved. This paper discusses the use of advanced digital technology for remote 3D mapping of road slopes, enabling the efficient design of over 50 No. Rock slopes within a short timeframe. By integrating topographical surveys, LiDAR scans, and drone photogrammetry, 3D digital twins of slopes were created that allowed for remote investigation and multiple virtual site inspections, reducing the need for physical presence. These virtual replicas provided accurate geometric representations, aiding in geotechnical assessments and constructability evaluations. The paper also demonstrates the use of Seequent’s Leapfrog software allowed for interpolation of joint measurements in inaccessible areas. Additionally, the integration of Leapfrog, Context Capture by Bentley Systems and Global Mapper by Blue Marble Geographics enhanced the development of detailed construction drawings and accurate material measurements.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Keshia Myburgh
AU  - Salona Naidoo
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/07
TI  - Digital Innovations in Slope Stability: Addressing South Africa’s Unique Challenges
BT  - Proceedings of the Rocscience International Conference 2025 (RIC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 642
EP  - 654
SN  - 2589-4943
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-900-1_64
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-900-1_64
ID  - Myburgh2025
ER  -