Discrete element method (DEM) is adopted to simulate the whole failure process of reservoir bank slope. The flow chart of this paper is carried out and its corresponding software is developed. The basic principles of DEM are introduced. The disadvantages of the existing methods of calculating landslide velocity and advantages of DEM are analyzed. The height and shape of the surge of the reservoir stirred up by the landslide is simulated by combining the block information provided by DEM and wave equation

the heap shape of the landslide is also carried out by DEM. The feasibility and accuracy of the method is verified by case studies. The results of the examples indicate that the block velocity on the slope calculated by DEM agrees well with that the energy conservation method and Pan Jiazheng method; the DEM is more convenience and has a higher efficiency. The height of surge stirred up by multi-blocks is greater than that of single-block due to the plus of surges

which indicates that it is important to consider the plus of surges when analyzing the height of surge. The heap shape of the blocks provides basic data for the disaster assessment of landslide. The sliding of the block and the generating and transmitting of surge are also carried out by a self-developed DEM software

which provides a new idea for the study of the start

the process and the risk assessment of slope failure.