26/11/2013

Slope Stability Analysis

1. Infinite slopes of Sand El & Er = normal Forces on the sides
Sl & Sr = shear Forces on the sides
W = self weight
a) Dry slope N = normal force on the failure plane
T = shear force on the failure plane
b
β = slope angle
Sr

Er
W
D El
Sl T Failure surface
N


       
   b (1)

′    

unit weight of the soil


Infinite slopes of sand

1. Infinite slopes of Sand

a) Dry slope
b

Sr

Er
W Failure surface
D El
Sl T
N


       



!"      


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Infinite slopes of sand

1. Infinite slopes of Sand

a) Dry slope -+, Undrained

shear strength
Shear strength
 .
# 
!"
# 
!"
Mobilized shear stress along
the potential failure plane TSA = total stress analysis
0 ESA = effective stress analysis
*+,
$ % ′ &'(′   &'(′
#  
!"   
&'(′
#  At Limit Equilibrium FS=1
&' ($  
Maximum stable slope angle
is equal to the friction angle

Infinite slopes of sand

1. Infinite slopes of Sand
b) Saturated slope   345 b (1)
b

Sr
unit weight of the soil
Er
W Failure surface   '& b 
D El
Sl T
.  7 87   if 87  9
.  7   
N


 
′  6 .  '&   6 7   

7 = unit wt. of water 
87 = depth of water level
!"  '&   

'&   6 7    &'(′

# 
'&   

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*+, 0

$ % ′ &'(′
# 
!"

'&   6 7    &'(′

# 
'&   

'& 6 7 &'(′
# 
'& &'

′ &'(′

'& &'

$ &'($
FS=
'& &'
$
Note: the ratio is typically about ½. We can now
'&
compare totally dry to totally saturated FS of a cohesionless
( $  0) slope drops by roughly 50%. This shows the
significant effect of GW on slope stability.
The effect of water on a slope is two fold:
1. water increases the driving forces because soil
becomes heavier and pore water pressure becomes
higher.
2. water decreases the resisting forces from the shear
strength of the soil because higher pore water
pressures decrease the effective stresses in the soil.

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2. Infinite slopes of Clay

*+, (long term analysis)

Sr

Er
W Failure surface
D El
Sl
$ % ′ &'(′
T
N # 


!"


$ % '&   6 7    &'(′

# 
'&   

-+, (short term analysis)
Infinite slope failure is more relevant to

coarse grained soils than fine grained soils

#  ! .
Slope failure in fine grained soils are finite
" and rotational
!"   
. . .
#   
!"      
At limit equilibrium FS=1
: . .
   ;: and 9 
    

Note: the critical value of (D) occurs =45°°

.
D=Dcr which is the depth of tension cracks.


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Infinite Slope Stability Analysis (sand)

Example 1. Dry sand is to be dumped from a truck on
the side of a roadway. The properties of the sand are
($  <°,   :?@/"< and '&  :?. C @/"< .

Determine the maximum slope angle of the sand in

a) The dry state
b) Saturated state if ground water is parallel to the
slope face
c) What is the safe slope in the dry state for a
FS=1.25

a) Dry state

Maximum slope angle ($    <° when FS=1

&'(′
# 
&'

b) Saturated state

'& 6 7 &'(′
# 
'& &'

:?. C 6 F. E: &'<°   :D°

:
:?. C &'

c) Dry state
&'(′ &' <°
#  :. C    D. E°
&' &'

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Infinite Slope Stability Analysis (clay)

Example 2. A trench was cut in a clay slope to carry TV and
telephone cables. When the trench reached a depth of 1.9 m, the
excavation was stopped. On resumption the top portion of the clay
suddenly failed when a depth of 2 m was excavated, engulfing the
trench and injuring several workers.
On investigating the failure, you observed a slip plane
approximately parallel to the original slope .

Determine the undrained shear strength of the clay.

. .
#  :
   (:?. C)()  G<E° .  :? @H'

Infinite Slope Stability Analysis (clay)

Example 3. A long natural slope in a fissured overconsolidated clay
is inclined at 12º to the horizontal. The water table is at the surface
(i.e. zw=D) and seepage is roughly parallel to the slope. A slip has
developed on a plane parallel to the surface at a depth of 5 m. The
saturated unit weight of the clay is 20 kN/m3. The shear strength
parameters are  $  10 kPa and I $  26º.

Determine the FS along the slip plane.

  :°

$ % '&   6 7 87   &'(′

# 
'&   

: % JGC (:°) 6 F. E:G5

5  :°)L&'M°
# 
GC :°:°

# 1.66

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Embankment (NC)

Looking at things from point P’s viewpoint.

Embankment (NC)

During the period of

construction, the
shear stress
increase as the
height of the
embankment
increases.

At the end of
construction, the
increase in shear
stress stops.

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Embankment (NC)

Embankment (NC)

Minimum FOS occurs at end of construction.

Therefore, ( =0
=0 analysis gives critical FOS.

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Embankment (OC)
The minimum FOS is at the end of pore
pressure dissipation, i.e., c’, φ’ analysis.

Methods of Stability Analysis

Methods of Analyses

Circular method

Short term, ϕ=0,

=0, τf=cu or su

Dimensionless approach

For circular surfaces

Long term, c’, ϕ’

For Non-
Non-circular surfaces

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Methods of Stability Analysis

Long term, c’, ϕ’

Circular surfaces Non Circular surfaces

Swedish method Conventional method

Bishop’s Routine Janbu routine method

Bishop and Morgenstern Morgenstern and Price method

Can be applied to circular as well

Dimensionless Approach
Taylor’s Method

TSA (total stress)
∑ .
#  
∑ 8
Stability Number (depends
on the geometry of the slope)

Taylor used the above equation to prepare a chart to determine
the stability of slopes in a homogeneous deposit of soil
underlain by a much stiffer soil or rock.
Assumptions:

No tension crack

Rotation failure

No surcharge or external loading

No open water @ toe

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Taylor’s Method
Procedure to determine the safe slope:

Calculate d = d*H/H,
where d*H = depth from the toe to the top of the stiff layer
and H= is the height of the slope.

Calculate No = FS (γH/su).

Read the value of β at the intersection of d and No.

Procedure to determine the factor of safety of an

existing slope or a desired slope:

Calculate d = d*H/H

Read the value of No at the intersection of β and d

Calculate FS = No su/ γH

11
8
H

β
d*H

10
Slope
Firm Base Circles

9
Slope Circle
Toe Circle
Base Circle
Stability number No

8
Values of d

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3

7

Toe Circles 0.5

1
1.5 2
5
6
No = 5.53
8

Base Circles
5

N = 3.83 at β = 90o

4
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Slope angle β (o)

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Taylor’s Method
Example 4.

4
P  0.5 β = 20° and P=0.5
8 ST'U  from chart
 =7

40
VW  7 2
17.5Y8

Bishop and Morgenstern Method

Bishop and Morgenstern prepared a number of
charts for homogeneous soil slopes with simple
geometry using simplified method.

Bishop’s equation for ESA:

#  " 6 S.

where m and n are stability coefficients that depend

on the friction angle and the geometry of the slope.

Determine ru as
.
S. 
[

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Bishop and Morgenstern Method

Procedure to determine the factor of safety:

for homogeneous slopes with constant inclination

determine chart to be used from & D values

then with angle β of the slope and the chart

can be used to determine m and n.

Bishop and Morgenstern Method

Example 5.

c’ =10 kPa
10m
γ= 20 kN/m3 1
su=50 kPa 15m
2
I′ = 20˚
ru=0.5

$ \] \_
 =0.05  =1.5
[ ^]\] \]

VW  ` 6 a bc =1.752-1.501(0.5)=1

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I′

I′

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I′

I′

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Planar Failure Analysis

W
T

W = Weight of the sliding soil (per unit

width)
N = normal force on the failure plane
Failure surface (per unit width)
T = shear force on the failure plane (per
   unit width)
β = slope angle
   

Planar Failure Analysis

W
T

-+,
.
Failure surface # 
!"
  
!"   . d
d d # 
 
 %  &'(
# 
!"

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Planar Failure Analysis

*+,
W
$ % ′ &'(′ T
# 
!" N

L
  
!"  
d d
.  7 87
Failure surface
7 = unit wt. of water $ d %  6 .d &'(′
87 = depth of water level # 
 
 
′  6.  6.
d d

Planar Failure Analysis

Example 6.

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Planar Failure Analysis




Rotational Slope Failure: Method of Slices

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Remedial Measures for Slopes

1. Warning Signs:
Signs:

Cracking near or behind crest.

Slumping in upper section of slope.

Cracking and heaving at toe. Seepage of
water from heave zone, Disturbance of toe
drains.

Rising GWL in bank, recorded by standpipes
or piezometers.

Movement of cracks and levelling pegs at
crest. These should be plotted versus time
for indication of incipient failure and
calculation of safety factor.

Remedial Measures for Slopes

2. Steps to Take Immediately. Increase the
stability by:
by:

Toe loading – rock waste or sand; toe

drains.

Crest unloading.

Remove machinery, earthmoving plant,
etc.

Drawdown water level in reservoir if
possible.

Seal cracks with clay, and/or cover the
slope with plastic sheeting.

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Remedial Measures for Slopes

3. Begin Site Investigation and Design
Procedures:

Boreholes through crest, halfway down
slope, and at toe at representative sections.

Lab testing – mostly for strength.
i. φ = 0, undrained.
ii. c′, φ′ – effective stresses.
iii. Direct shear tests for c′r, φ′r (residual)

Analysis of failure condition. Good sampling,
testing and analysis should give FS = 1.0,
and increases confidence in proposed
remedial design.

Remedial Measures for Slopes

4. Remedial Design Analysis. This falls into two parts:
parts:

Decrease overturning moment.
i. Toe loading – berm construction of free draining
soil.
ii. Cut-back bank to flatten slope – not always
possible.

Increase restoring moment.
i. Drain to reduce pore water pressure, and hence
increase the strength.

Use counter-front drains, buttress drains, toe drains.
Reduce seepage through bank by repairing cut-off
curtain, perhaps by grouting. Drill relief wells in
region of toe of slide.

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