Deformation characteristics and stability analysis of ecological geobag revetment in an inland arid river

A large amount of aeolian sand is distributed along the banks of the main stream of the Tarim River. The riverbanks are highly susceptible to erosion and structural damage under the influence of seasonal floods caused by rainfall and ice/snow meltwater. As a protective measure, the ecological geobag effectively prevents erosion and slope failure. The finite difference method is applied to establish a geobag slope protection model, and the protection performance of different revetment types is analyzed to examine the rationality of the geobag revetment structure. The results show that: When the "retaining wall-and-slope protection geobag system" structure is applied, the safety factor of the bank slope remains greater than 1, and toe damage is effectively avoided. Under conditions of water level variation, a rising water level does not reduce the overall slope stability, whereas a falling water level significantly reduces stability. Under rainfall conditions, infiltration causes the formation of a saturated layer at the slope surface, which induces limit equilibrium displacement near the top of the slope and markedly decreases the safety factor. The pagoda type retaining wall demonstrated the best protective performance under all conditions investigated, providing a scientific basis for the design of geobag revetments on aeolian sand riverbanks.