Abstract:Perilous rock is a dominant geological hazard in Three Gorges Reservoir area of P. R. China. The Taibaiyan cliff at Wanzhou is a representative case of massive perilous rocks in the area. Using this cliff as an example, the conditions triggering massive perilous rocks were studied and described. This included examining the following three conditions: alternating layers of mudstone and sandstone; steep landforms such as cliffs or scarps; and intense rainfall. The massive development mechanism for perilous rocks was discussed, including microchained pattern gradual and interval evolution from the bottom to the summit of the cliffs individually as perilous rock, and a macrochained pattern evolving stage by stage from the cliff face backward up the mountain. In some respects, rock cells below sandstone in cliffs serves as the pulsating valve of the massive development mechanism for perilous rock. In any microchained pattern, perilous rock situated on summits is the easiest to rupture due to the fissure pressure. For any single perilous rock, two load compositions were derived. In addition, methods for analyzing perilous rock stability were established in detail using the limit equilibrium principle. Two key techniques, a union scheme that both supports and anchors and a union scheme that nails and anchors, are proposed in light of the massive development mechanism for perilous rock.