Abstract: A device related with waste dump model test has been developed, with which natural selection process is adopted to generate the dump site, and slope failure is achieved by raising one side of the devices.The results demonstrate that sliding surface is nearly a straight line, and initial failure position concentrates on 1/2～3/4 height of the dump body.Upper position failure is very likely to happen after initial collapse, with a larger scale.Failure dump start to accumulate at the height of 1/2, with a raising amount when height reduces.It consists of two parts, one part is from the initial damage and the towed upper dump, which occupies most of the weight, and the other part is driven by the decline in the process of sliding.A steeper base slope angle brings a larger range of damage.Strength parameters from back analysis by different slip surface are close, the average value is 33.2°, with standard deviation of 0.96°.They bring close factor s of safety, with an average value of 1.12 and standard deviation of 0.015, which demonstrate 10% to 14% safety reserve of the slopes after failure.Because stones used in the model test are dry and have uniform particle size, so the failure process get in the model test is different from previous studies, test results can only be applied to gravel waste dump site with low groundwater.

Key words: Waste dump, Model test, Failure process, Stability, Safety reserve