Limit equilibrium slope stability analysis using rigid finite elements

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 653-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Stolle ◽  
Peijun Guo

This paper revisits the interslice force assumptions associated with the method-of-slices approach to slope stability analysis. A brief review is presented on analysis procedures for this class of problem and a comparison is made between the factor of safety equations derived by Fellenius and a modified form of Bishop’s equation. A simplified rigid finite element method that takes into account progressive yielding through a sliding law is proposed, eliminating the need to provide constraint equations for the variation of interslice forces required by more advanced procedures, such as that developed by Morgenstern and Price. An example is given to demonstrate the proposed procedure and to investigate the sensitivity of the global and local factors of safety to the interslice and basal shear forces. It is demonstrated that the global factor of safety tends not to be sensitive to interslice shear forces when dealing with circular slip. For the slip circles that were analyzed, the Morgenstern and Price procedure yielded slice forces that were similar to those predicted by the proposed method, which takes into account the deformation and failure characteristics of the material comprising the slope.

2001 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 328-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Da-Yong Zhu

This paper presents a new method for locating critical slip surfaces of general shapes in slope stability analysis. On the basis of the principle of optimality, along with the method of slices, a critical slip field (CSF) in a slope is postulated which consists of a family of slip surfaces having maximum values of unbalanced thrust forces at exit points on the slope face. A numerical procedure is developed for constructing the CSF. The critical slip surface having minimum factor of safety is included in the CSF. All the critical slip surfaces corresponding to all of the exit points are thus determined consecutively, resulting in a global critical slip field (GCSF) which exhibits both global and local slope stability. Comparisons with other methods are made which indicate the high efficiency and accuracy of the proposed approach. Applications of the proposed method to two case examples are given, the results of which demonstrate its applicability to practical engineering.Key words: slope, stability, analysis, factor of safety, critical slip field.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azemeraw Wubalem

Abstract Goncha Siso Eneses area is located in northwestern Ethiopia where landslide incidence is active. The landslide incidence in the area resulted in the devastation of 233.1 hectares of cultivated and non-cultivated land, death of eight people, demolition of five houses, displaced 90 households, and 45 households are under risk. The slope failure in this area also caused tilting of the power line, tilting of two houses, cracking of three-houses floor, failed of bridge and blocking of streams as well as springs. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the cause, failure mechanism, landslide distribution, geotechnical condition of the site, slope stability analysis, and factor of safety determination. Soil sampling, laboratory test, terrain characteristics, groundwater-surface manifestation characterization, groundwater depth determination, slope stability analysis, and factor of safety calculation were the most important activities employed in this research work. Using disturbed and undisturbed soil samples of the selected slope section, Atterberg limit (liquid limit & plastic limit), natural soil moisture, unit weight, specific gravity, and shear strength parameters (cohesion & internal friction angle) test were carryout as ASTM standard. The most marginal factor of safety of the area is determined based on the general limit equilibrium method that encompasses different methods inside using slope/w in GeoStudio 2018 software package considering various groundwater conditions for all selected slope sections. The factor of safety for all selected slope sections of the various method under different groundwater conditions is less than one. Based on the finding of field observation and laboratory results, landslide types (rock/soil slides, rock/earth fall, debris/earth flow, & soil creeping) and landslide factors of the study area (slope angle, slope shape, slope modification, land use, groundwater, soil type, and rainfall) are determined. This research finds out that the soil has a great contribution to slope failure in the study area, besides the soil moisture and improper land use practice.


1988 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 735-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zu-Yu Chen ◽  
Chang-Ming Shao

This paper explores the feasibility of using optimization methods to search for the minimum factor of safety in slope stability analysis. The routine procedure includes comparing a number of admissible surfaces that are basically selected by random searches. Low efficiency and unreliability are the problems commonly encountered.Optimization methods allow a mathematically rigorous and reliable search for the minimum factor of safety and its associated "critical slip surfaces." This paper employs simplex, steepest descent, and Davidon – Fletcher – Powell (DFP) methods. The results of a number of test problems, in conjunction with closed-form and grid search solutions, showed that all the above-mentioned methods can provide reasonable results. Case history analyses supported the feasibility of the methods. Modifications to the DFP method were found to be essential for successful implementation of the minimization procedure. Key words: slope stability, landslide, analysis, limit equilibrium, interslice forces, factor of safety, spline function, optimization methods, case history.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4568
Author(s):  
Muhammad Israr Khan ◽  
Shuhong Wang

Assessment and analysis of soil slope stability is an important part of geotechnical engineering at all times. This paper examines the assessment of soil slope stability in fine-grained soils. The effect of change in shear strength (τ), shear stress (σ) and slope angle (β) on the factor of safety has been studied. It correlates shear strength with slope angle and shear stress by considering the horizontal seismic coefficients in both saturated and unsaturated conditions. The slope failure surface was considered a circular slip surface. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and Slide, numerical modeling software and limit equilibrium slope stability analysis software, respectively, are used to find out the correlations between the three basic parameters. The slope angle varied from 70 to 88 degrees, which are the most critical values for slope angles, and a total of 200 analyses were performed. τ, β and σ are correlated, and the correlations are provided in the results section. The results indicate that the correlations developed between the parameters have a very close relationship. The applicability of the developed equations is above 99%. These correlations are applicable in any type of soil slope stability analysis, where the value of shear strength and factor of safety is required with the variation of slope angle and shear stress.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azemeraw Wubalem Azeze

Abstract The study area is located in northwestern Ethiopia where landslide incidence is active. The landslide incidence in the area resulted in the devastation of 233.1 hectares cultivated and non-cultivated land, death of eight people, demolition of five houses, displaced 90 households, and 45 households are under risk. The slope failure in this area also caused tilting of the power line, tilting of two houses, cracking of three-houses floor, failed of bridge and blocking of streams as well as springs. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the cause, failure mechanism, landslide distribution, geotechnical condition of the site, slope stability analysis and factor of safety determination. Soil sampling, laboratory test, terrain characteristics, groundwater-surface manifestation characterization, groundwater depth determination, slope stability analysis and factor of safety calculation were the most important activities employed in this research work. Using disturbed and undisturbed soil samples of the selected slope section, Atterberg limit (liquid limit & plastic limit), natural soil moisture, unit weight, specific gravity, and shear strength parameters (cohesion & internal friction angle) test were carryout as ASTM standard. The most marginal factor of safety of the area is determined based on the general limit equilibrium method that encompasses different methods inside using slope/w in GeoStudio 2018 software package considering various groundwater conditions for all selected slope sections. The factor of safety for all selected slope sections of the various method under different groundwater conditions is less than one. Based on the finding of field observation and laboratory results, landslide types (rock/soil slides, rock/earth fall, debris/earth flow, & soil creeping) and landslide factors of the study area (slope angle, slope shape, slope modification, land use, groundwater, soil type, and rainfall) are determined. This research finds out that the soil has a great contribution to slope failure in the study area, besides the soil moisture and improper land use practice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashok Sigdel ◽  
Radha Krishna Adhikari

Detailed investigation of Taprang landslide was carried out in order to understand the surface, subsurface lithological information and physical properties of soil by using multi-disciplinary methods such as engineering geological, geophysical and geotechnical studies for the determination of factor of safety for slope stability analysis.  Geological study was carried out by detail mapping of surface geology, soil condition, properties of bedrock and its discontinuities. The geophysical survey (Electrical Resistivity Tomography-ERT) were carried out to know the electrical resistivity of soil for identifying the groundwater table and hence slip surface of the landslide. Geotechnical analysis such as grain size analysis, liquid limit and direct shear test were carried out in order to evaluate soil classification, moisture content, cohesion and the angle of internal friction of soil for knowing the strength the soil. These soil parameters indicate the soil is very low strength. The combination of these results were used for calculating the factor of safety (FoS) by Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM) proposed by Bishop and Janbu methods. The result of factor of safety in the Taprang landslide demonstrates that the slope become stable in drained (dry) condition, remain ultimate stage in undrained (wet) condition and finally failure occurs if applied the seismic load in both drained and undrained conditions.


2013 ◽  
Vol 275-277 ◽  
pp. 1423-1426
Author(s):  
Lin Kuang ◽  
Ai Zhong Lv ◽  
Yu Zhou

Based on finite element analysis software ANSYS, slope stability analysis is carried out by Elastic limiting equilibrium method proposed in this paper. A series of sliding surface of the slope can be assumed firstly, and then stress field along the sliding surface is analyzed as the slope is in elastic state. The normal and tangential stresses along each sliding surface can be obtained, respectively. Then the safety factor for each slip surface can be calculated, the slip surface which the safety factor is smallest is the most dangerous sliding surface. This method is different from the previous limit equilibrium method. For the previous limit equilibrium method, the normal and tangential stresses along the sliding surface are calculated based on many assumptions. While, the limit equilibrium method proposed in this paper has fewer assumptions and clear physical meaning.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1250
Author(s):  
Sina Shaffiee Haghshenas ◽  
Sami Shaffiee Haghshenas ◽  
Zong Woo Geem ◽  
Tae-Hyung Kim ◽  
Reza Mikaeil ◽  
...  

Slope stability analysis is undoubtedly one of the most complex problems in geotechnical engineering and its study plays a paramount role in mitigating the risk associated with the occurrence of a landslide. This problem is commonly tackled by using limit equilibrium methods or advanced numerical techniques to assess the slope safety factor or, sometimes, even the displacement field of the slope. In this study, as an alternative approach, an attempt to assess the stability condition of homogeneous slopes was made using a machine learning (ML) technique. Specifically, a meta-heuristic algorithm (Harmony Search (HS) algorithm) and K-means algorithm were employed to perform a clustering analysis by considering two different classes, depending on whether a slope was unstable or stable. To achieve the purpose of this study, a database made up of 19 case studies with 6 model inputs including unit weight, intercept cohesion, angle of shearing resistance, slope angle, slope height and pore pressure ratio and one output (i.e., the slope safety factor) was established. Referring to this database, 17 out of 19 slopes were categorized correctly. Moreover, the obtained results showed that, referring to the considered database, the intercept cohesion was the most significant parameter in defining the class of each slope, whereas the unit weight had the smallest influence. Finally, the obtained results showed that the Harmony Search algorithm is an efficient approach for training K-means algorithms.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua-Fu Pei ◽  
Chao Li ◽  
Hong-Hu Zhu ◽  
Yu-Jie Wang

In the past few decades, slope stability analysis using numerical methods is becoming a hot issue, but it is based on extremely ideal assumptions. Soil nailing technique, as one of the most cost-effective reinforcing methods, has already been widely used for reinforcing slopes. In this study, to evaluate the safety factor of a slope, the strains on soil nails were measured by fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor. Strains along soil nails in the same cross section of a slope can be computed using the measured wavelength shifts of FBG sensors. In order to evaluate the stability of a slope, an optimal model was proposed to search the potential slip surfaces based on measured strain values. Maximum sum of strains on soil nails at different elevations of the same cross section was taken as the objective. Positions of soil nails, circular slip surface, and boundary conditions of the soil nails were summarized and taken as constraints. Finally, safety factors can be computed using the searched slip surface regarding the axial stress of soil nails. This method combines the limit equilibrium methods with measured axial strains on site which can reflect the actual condition of field slopes.


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