Accurate characterisation of rock mass discontinuities is crucial for geotechnical design and slope stability assessment. Conventional stereographic projection methods, although widely used, suffer from edge effects that distort subvertical planes. These distortions hinder the identification of discontinuity sets. This study introduces an integrated approach that combines axis rotation optimisation with spherical density analysis to address these limitations when processing three-dimensional (3D) point clouds (3DPC) acquired via remote sensing. The method reduces edge clustering in stereographic projections through optimised reference system rotation and evaluates orientation distributions directly on the unit sphere, eliminating projection artefacts. The approach, implemented in open-source tools, was validated through four case studies of increasing complexity, including real-world roadcut slopes. Results demonstrate marked improvements in detecting and visualising discontinuity sets, particularly in scenarios with subvertical and closely spaced orientations. The method ensures continuity in density contours, improves orientation-based colour mapping, and provides robust statistical descriptors for both deterministic and probabilistic analyses. These advances enhance structural interpretation and can be seamlessly integrated into geomechanical workflows for slope stability assessment.
Riquelme et al. (Fri,) studied this question.