Rock masses have defects,such as joints and fractures, which are the main seepage passages.Joints and fractures often are treated as parallel plates with the seepage state kept steady and the ground stress constant. When changes take place in joints and fractures as a result of stress changes induced by excavation,joints or fractures may be wedge-shaped,and the distribution of piezometric head along the fracture will be nonlinear.A distribution function of piezometric head is suggested and compared with the results of previous research.The influence of this function on the calculation of the slope safety factor is investigated.The study shows that this function is reasonable.