STABILITY OF SLOPES

STABILITY OF SLOPES

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

An exposed ground surface that stands at an angle to the

horizontal is called an “unrestrained slope”.
The slope can be natural or man-made.
If the ground surface is not horizontal, gravity will tend to move
the soil downward.

Soil after slope failure 3

STABILITY OF SLOPES

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

Types of slope failure;

`ROTATIONAL SLIPS`
Failure surface
Failure surface non-circular arc
is circular arc `non-homogeneous
`homogeneous soil conditions`
soil conditions`

TRANSLATIONAL adjacent stratum

SLIP is at shallow depth
(with different strength)
Adjacent stratus
is at greater depth
Failure surface
parallel to slope COMPOUND SLIP

STABILITY OF SLOPES

Taylor`s stability coefficient (u=0);

Ns=cu/(FH)

H : Height of slope
Ns: Stability coefficient
(based on  and D) H
F : Minimum FS  D

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Use Figure 11.17 to find Fs

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

STABILITY OF SLOPES
Slope stability analysis is the procedure to check the safety of natural
slopes, slopes of excavations ,and of compacted embankments. This
check requires determining and comparing the shear stress
developed along the most likely rupture surface to the shear strength
of soil. 0
r
Factor of safety  Fs = f /d
d
cu
where W
f : average shear strength of soil
d : average shear stress developed La:length of arc
along the potential failure surface Fs= Restoring moments
Disturbing moments
Fs=1 : Failure ; Fs >1.5 : Safe
Mo  Wd=(cu / Fs)*La r
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 STABILITY OF SLOPES
•Rotational Slips : For short term stability of saturated clay slopes.

• u= 0 Analysis : This analysis can be applied to fully saturated clays

(Undrained condition) to analyze the stability of a slope during and
immediately after the completion of an excavation.
a) No external water, tension crack dry:
O

x1 2cu/

W1 l1 cu1, 
x2
W2 R
cu2

l2 Slip surface is assumed as a circular9

arc in x cross section

STABILITY OF SLOPES

Analysis is carried out in terms of total stresses using the undrained

shear strength of the soil and is independent of the position of w.t.
(except if tension cracks extend below the w.t. or are filled with
rainwater the hydrostatic pressure of this water must be taken into
account ).
Restoring Moments=Disturbing Moments

Equate Moments about O:

R(Cu)1 l1+ (Cu)2 l2 
Fs =W1x1 + W2x2

R(Cu)l Then try other slip circles to find

Where Fs : Factor of safety =
W.x minimum Fs
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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

b) Same as case (a) except tension cracks filled with water.

• Add Pw*y to disturbing

moments
y
R

x Pw
W
RCu L :restoring moments
Fs =
Cu
Wx + Pw*y :disturbing moments

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STABILITY OF SLOPES

Method of Slices :

Rotational Slides: For long term stability of saturated and

unsaturated soils or short term stability of unsaturated soils.
O
R 
b
n x
n+1
R
u/w Xn w
h
En Xn+1 D
B En+1
C R
N S
l1 12
ul

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

Consider unit depth into the paper and consider the equilibrium
of a slice between sections n,n+1. Let En , En+1 =Resultant total
forces at n, n+1

Xn,Xn+1 :Resultant shear forces at n and n+1

W :Total weight of slice
N :Total normal force on base BC of slice
S :Mobilized shear force on BC
l : length BC

total normal stress on BC , n =N/(l*1)

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STABILITY OF SLOPES
If inter slice forces are neglected , the following eqn. is obtained
for moment equilibrium about “O”.

Fs= 1  c’l + (w cos - ul) tan’

W sin

For an analysis in terms of total stress , the parameters cu and u

are used and the value of u in above equation is zero.

Fs= 1  cul + w cos tanu

W sin

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

The forces acting on each slice (assuming Fs  for each slice)

(1) Total weight of slice (W = bh)

(2) Total Normal Force on Base (N= *l  ’l+ul )
(3) Shear Force on Base (S = m.l)
(4) Total Normal Forces on the sides (En)
(5) Shear Forces on sides (Xn)

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STABILITY OF SLOPES
Method of slices :
-base of each slice is assumed horizontal
-each slice has same width
-the height of each slice is measured from center points
f available shear strength
F= =
m shear strength mobilized to maintain equil.

Fs is the same for each slice (therefore there is mutual support

between slices and forces must act between them).

1
F = Wsin  [cu L +(W cos-uL) tan u]

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES
Fellenius / Swedish Solution :
Assumption is that the resultant of the interslice forces is zero
(for each slice ).

P = Wcos  - uL
From equation [1] :
c’L + tan’ W cos - uL)
F=
 W sin
If u = 0 :
F= cu L
W sin 
the error is usually within the range: 5-20 %.
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STABILITY OF SLOPES
Bishop Routine Solution :
Assumption is that resultant forces on the sides of the slices
are horizontal.
X1-X2 = 0 (Error < 7 %)

Factor of safety is computed by:

F=
1
W sin
 [ { c’b +W (1-ru) tan’}
sec
1+ tan tan
]
F
F occurs on both sides of equation  successive approximation
must be used  Computer solution is appropriate.
ru : pore pressure ratio = u/h =u/(W/b)
b : width of slice
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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

Sudden spreading of clay slopes :

Spreading may occur because of melting of snow, or heavy rainfall.

PA
W
PP

S Weak clay

L 19

STABILITY OF SLOPES

Shear : s’ = c’ L + W’ tan’ =’

s = cu L + Wt tanu = 
S+Pp  + Pp
F= =
PA PA

where : PA = 1/2 KAH2 - 2cKA (H)

PP = 1/2 KPH2 + 2cKP (H)

KA= 1-sin KP = 1+sin

1+sin 1 -sin 
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 STABILITY OF SLOPES
INFINITE SLOPES

L 
-Case Without seepage
F
f = c +  tan  B
N0 W

Ta

Slope failure can
F 
occur above AB ,
r Nr ()
when soil moves H
R
right to left.In order
to find Fs ;(Fs = f / d)
A

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STABILITY OF SLOPES
W=LH
W cos   L H cos 
= = =  H cos2 
(L/cos ) (L/cos )
W sin   L H sin 
= (L/cos ) = (L/cos ) =  H cos  sin 
For equilibrium ;

Nr = R cos  = W cos  =  L H cos 

Tr = R sin  =W sin  =  L H sin 

 d = Tr/area =  L H sin  =  H cos  sin 

L / cos 

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

Developed :

d = cd +  H cos2 . tan d ( tan d = tan  / Fs ; cd = c / Fs )

c tan 
Fs =  H cos2  tan  +
tan 

- Granular soils : c = 0 , Fs > 1 if  > 

- Get Hcr by Fs in above equation

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STABILITY OF SLOPES

PLANE TRANSLATIONAL SLIPS: (Infinite slopes with seepage)

Slopes:
l -infinite length
-inclined at  
z mz -seepage parallel to slope

W
( 0<m<1) -Forces on sides of
Seepage  any vertical slice are
equal & opposite.
Direction  -Stress conditions are
the same at every point
 = c’ + ’ tan ’ of failure plane.
Shear strength f = c’ + (-u) tan ’
of soil along
failure plane 24

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES
Fs = f / d
and
 = (1-m) + m satz cos2 
 = (1-m) + m satz sin cos
u = mz  w cos2 

for c’= 0 , m= 0 (water table is below failure plane)

Fs= tan’/tan

for c’= 0 , m= 1 (water table is at surface of slope)

’tan ’
Fs= tan 
sat 25

STABILITY OF SLOPES
When c’= 0 , Fs independent of z !
c ’ tan 
Fs= +
sat mz cos  tan
2 sat tan 

Long term Stability:

*Excavated Slopes: Change in

pwp and along slope and failure initial w.t.
plane occur due to excavations
and formation of slopes. After
excavation , pore water will uf/w final
flow towards the slope , and w.t.
draw down of w.t. will occur.
P 26

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES
Soft clay:

U u
0 Pore water flows down, steady seepage
excavation
u uf

tc t

F
 F decreases with t

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STABILITY OF SLOPES
End of construction : undrained condition ,
If k is low ; significant time elapses before significant dissipation of pwp.
If k is high ; dissipation of excess pwp will be mostly completed by the
end of construction.

For : u = u3 + u1

= B [3 + A(1 - 3)]

with saturated clay , B = 1 :

u = 1/2 (1 + 3) + (A-1/2)(1- 3)

For point P on failure plain ,1st term is < 0, 2nd term < 0 if A< 0,5  u < 0

Special case : Overconsolidated fissured clays. Failure can occur

long after dissipation of pwp. 28

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

Embankments: U
After construction

u
tc t
P
-U0
soil partially sat. when compacted
as w  , u0 approaches 0

P F

tc 29 t

STABILITY OF SLOPES

Embankment Construction:
(increase in total stress, construction period :short)
U0 depends on the placement water content of the fill.
Dissipation continues after end of construction period , and
pwp (pore water pressure) decreases to final value in long term.

Embankment

Soft clay
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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

Embankment Dams:

These dams are preferred when foundation & abutment conditions

are not suitable for a concrete dam, also , suitable materials for the
embankment are present close to the site.

downstream slope : grass

Internal
drainage system
(dissip. pwp)

Covered with thin

layer of rockfill (rip-rap) Core : low permeability 31

STABILITY OF SLOPES
Failure of embankment dam is caused by :

1. Instability of upstream or downstream slope

2. Internal erosion
3. Erosion of crest & downstream slope by overtopping

-If erosion material contains fissures : progressive failure

-Differential movements between soil zones & between dam and

abutments : failure

-Failure usually occurs either during or at the end of construction

of embankment dams.
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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

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STABILITY OF SLOPES
Pore pressure at any point in dam:
U = U0 + u [1]
U0 : initial pwp
u : change in pwp
In terms of total major principal stress
U = U0 + B 1 [2]
pore
pressure:
ru= U = U0 + B 1 [3]
ratio
h h h
If total major principal stress equals fill pressure, then:

ru=U0/(h) + B [4]

(Assuming no drainage takes place during constructıon period

Fs > 1.3 can be accepted.) 34

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 STABILITY OF SLOPES
• Steady Seepage
Steady seepage through the dam is established after reservoir
is full for a period of time
ru  0.45 : homogeneous dams
<< 0.45 : if internal drainage exist
F  1.5
• Rapid Drawdown
Upon reaching steady seepage , drawdown of reservoir level
results in change in pwp distribution

h’
hw
Drawdown
h
P
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STABILITY OF SLOPES
For a point P on the failure surface ;

pore pressure before drawdown:

U0 = w (h + hw - h’)

h’ : loss in total head due to seepage bt. upstream slope surface

and point P.
Assumption: total major principal stress at P = fill pressure (h)

For drawdown exceeding hw (gives) :

1-whw

u=B1= -B whw
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 STABILITY OF SLOPES

Pore water pressure at P immediately after drawdown :

U = U0 +u
= w(h + hw - h') + (-Bwhw)
= w (h + hw{1- B}- h')

Pore pressure ratio, ru :

u
ru =
sat h
 h h’
= w 1+ hw (1-B) - h
sat

AFTER Note : 0.3 < ru < 0.4

DRAWDOWN :
B is slightly greater than 1.
F > 1.2 can be accepted 37

STABILITY OF SLOPES

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