In situ testing of Gila Conglomerate with application to probabilistic slope stability

In this study the shear strength parameters for a consolidated, well-cemented boulder conglomerate at the Cyprus Miami Copper Mine are determined by a newly developed field test. The values obtained are used to investigate the probability of failure of pit slopes cut into the conglomerate.;Any boulder conglomerate is impossible to test accurately with conventional laboratory techniques due to its large particle sizes and the destruction of cementation by conventional sampling methods. For these reasons a simple in situ test was developed which could be used in conjunction with laboratory techniques and analytical procedures to estimate the in situ strength properties of the Gila Conglomerate.;The variability in the testing of the shear strength parameters of Gila Conglomerate make a probabilistic approach to design appropriate.