16 Slope Stability 1

SLOPE STABILITY 1
Lecture 16
Asst. Prof. Kristian Azul
SLOPE STABILITY
3
SLOPES
• An exposed ground surface that stands at an
angle with the horizontal is called an
unrestrained slope.
• It can be natural or man-made.
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING II
4
SLOPE FAILURE MODES
(CRUDEN AND VARNES, 1996)
1. Fall
2. Topple
3. Slide
4. Spread
5. Flow
5
FALL
These motions are characterized by quick movement
of various slope materials, such as rocks and boulders,
which detach from steep slopes of cliffs due to
gravitational actions and mechanical weathering. The
slope material moves by bouncing, rolling or free-fall.
6
FALL
These motions are characterized by quick movement
of various slope materials, such as rocks and boulders,
which detach from steep slopes of cliffs due to
gravitational actions and mechanical weathering. The
slope material moves by bouncing, rolling or free-fall.
7
TOPPLE
This failure, caused by gravitational action or
forces exerted by adjacent materials, is
distinguished as a forward rotational motion
about a pivot point located at the lower portion
of the failure unit.
8
TOPPLE
This failure, caused by gravitational action or
forces exerted by adjacent materials, is
distinguished as a forward rotational motion
about a pivot point located at the lower portion
of the failure unit.
9
SPREAD
Lateral spreads often occur on very gentle
slopes. It is characterized by lateral extension
with shear or tensile fracture often caused by
liquefaction of soil material as a result of
naturally or artificially induced rapid ground
motion.
10
SPREAD
Lateral spreads often occur on very gentle
slopes. It is characterized by lateral extension
with shear or tensile fracture often caused by
liquefaction of soil material as a result of
naturally or artificially induced rapid ground
motion.
11
FLOW
This type of landslide may be described as a
continuous movement of slope material with short-
lived, closely spaced and often not preserved shear
surfaces. The speed of motion may range from slow
and steady movement (creep) to rapid movement
(debris flow, earthflow, mudflow).
12
SLIDE
This is a more restrictive term used specifically
for mass movement with a distinct zone of
weakness where there is evident separation of
slide material and the underlying stable
material.
13
SLIDE
TRANSLATIONAL SLIDE is a type of slide
where the slope material moves along a
roughly planar surface with little tilting and
rotation.
A mass movement where there is evident
curved, concavely upward rupture surface is
referred to as ROTATIONAL SLIDE.
14
SLIDE
15
SLIDE
Japan National Route 168 – Nara, Japan.

16
17
FACTORS AFFECTING
SLOPE STABILITY
19
MORPHOLOGIC FACTORS
SLOPE
• Slope gradient is commonly viewed as a
major contributing factor in landslide
formation. It is the most important factor that
needs to be taken into account as the
principal factor in landslide susceptibility
assessment
*Morphologic means related to form/structure

of things
20
MORPHOLOGIC FACTORS
ELEVATION
• Elevation is attributed to other factors such as
slope, lithology, weathering, precipitation,
ground motion, soil thickness, and land use.
As an example, mountainous regions often
experience relatively larger volume of
precipitation causing more landslide
occurrence.
21
MORPHOLOGIC FACTORS
SLOPE ASPECT
• The exposure of slope, which may be
described with respect to the cardinal
directions, may affect the distribution of
landslide occurrence
• Slope aspect may be associated with more
sunlight exposure, differential weathering
and erosion
22
NON MORPHOLOGIC FACTORS

SOIL
• Soil shear strength, wetness, loading
conditions, amount of clay
GEOLOGY
• Type of rocks present in the area, hardness,
structure
23

PRECIPITATION
• This contributes to soil wetness and pore
water pressures.
EXPOSURE
• The exposure of the slope to various factors
causing erosion
• Earthquakes and vibrations
• Freezing and Thawing
24

ROAD NETWORK
• Roads on slopes may be treated as
discontinuities and may constitute a barrier
or a corridor for water flow, and may induce
instability.
WATER BODIES
• There is a close spatial relation between of
landslides and the presence of watercourse
or dense drainage lines.
FACTOR OF SAFETY
26
FoS
27
FoS Formulation
Remember that the soil strength is modelled
as:
28
FoS Formulation
In the same manner, we can write the
developed strength at a certain case studied
as:
The d subscript signifies “developed”

cohesion and angle of friction.
29
FoS Formulation
Substituting the 2 equations (ultimate strength
and developed/used strength) to FS, we have:
This allows us also to introduce other aspects

of FS:
30
FoS Formulation
Looking at the 3 FS representations,
we can say that when Fc’ = Fφ’, it also
gives Fs
31
FoS Formulation
Or when,
Then,
32
FoS Formulation
When FSs = 1, the slope is in a state of
IMPENDING FAILURE.A value of 1.5 or higher
is usually desired.
STABILITY OF INFINITE
SLOPES
34
INIFINITE SLOPE
We will assume no pore water pressure on an
infinite slope.
The FS will be evaluated for a possible failure
along plane AB located at depth H from
surface.
Failure is movement
from right to left.
35
INFINITE SLOPE
Consider the
element ABCD
with unit thickness
(perpendicular to
drawing)
The forces F on left and right are equal and opposite

so they will cancel each other out.
The only forces acting on the element is the weight,
W, and the resultant of normal and friction forces, R.
36
INFINITE SLOPE
The weight will
have components
that are parallel
and perpendicular
to the plane AB.
The perpendicular component:
The parallel component (causes the slip along AB):
37
INFINITE SLOPE
The weight will
have components
that are parallel
and perpendicular
to the plane AB.
The perpendicular component:
The parallel component (causes the slip along AB):
38
INFINITE SLOPE
The effective
normal stress and
shear stress on
plane AB can now
be written as:
39
INFINITE SLOPE
The normal and
tangential
components of R
can also be written
as:
40
INFINITE SLOPE
For equilibrium to
occur, the resistive
shear stress is
equal to:
41
INFINITE SLOPE
The resistive shear
stress can also be
written in the form
of:
The normal stress was given earlier based on W.
42
INFINITE SLOPE
We now equate the
2 representations
of resistive shear
stress:
43
INFINITE SLOPE
Rearranging, we
can get:
44
INFINITE SLOPE
Remember we also
defined earlier:
45
INFINITE SLOPE
Note that for granular soils (c’=0), FS

reduces to the 2nd term only which
tells us that the height, H, would not
matter anymore and the slope is
stable as long as β < φ’.
46
INFINITE SLOPE
When the soil is a c-φ soil, then a

CRITICAL HEIGHT can be solved by
setting FS to 1.
This is the height for which failure is
impending.
47
INFINITE SLOPE
When the soil is a c-φ soil, then a

CRITICAL HEIGHT can be solved by
setting FS to 1.
This is the height for which failure is
impending.
48
INFINITE SLOPE
• For infinite slopes with steady state seepage
through the soil and ground water table at
ground surface level, the FS becomes:
49
EXAMPLE 1
For the infinite slope with
steady state seepage
shown, determine:
a. FS against sliding at
rock interface
b. H value to have an FS of
2 at rock interface
50
EXAMPLE 1
Given:
H = 6m β = 15⁰
ϒsat = 17.8 kN/m3
c’ = 10 kPa φ‘ = 20
51
EXAMPLE 1
Given:
H = 6m β = 15⁰
ϒsat = 17.8 kN/m3
c’ = 10 kPa φ‘ = 20
FS = 0.985
52
EXAMPLE 1
Given:
H = ?? m β = 15⁰
ϒsat = 17.8 kN/m3
c’ = 10 kPa φ‘ = 20
FS = 2
53
EXAMPLE 1
Given:
H = ?? m β = 15⁰
ϒsat = 17.8 kN/m3
c’ = 10 kPa φ‘ = 20
FS = 2
H = 1.62 m
STABILITY OF FINITE
SLOPES
55
FINITE SLOPES
• When the value of Hcr approaches the height
of the slope, the slope generally may be
considered finite.
• Although considerable evidence suggests
that slope failures usually occur on curved
failure surfaces, Culmann (1875)
approximated the surface of potential failure
as a plane.
• The factor of safety, Fs, calculated by using
Culmann’s approximation, gives fairly good
results for NEAR-VERTICAL SLOPES ONLY.
56
FINITE SLOPES
Analysis of Finite Slopes with Plane Failure
Surfaces (Culmann’s Method)
• Culmann’s analysis is based on the
assumption that the failure of a slope occurs
along a plane when the average shearing
stress tending to cause the slip is more
than the shear strength of the soil.
• Also, the most critical plane is the one that
has a minimum ratio of the shear strength of
soil to the average shearing stress that tends
to cause failure.
57
CULMANN’S METHOD
Consider the slope shown with height H. We

will be analyzing the FS assuming it fails at
plane AC (trial failure plane).
58
CULMANN’S METHOD
Considering 1m
thickness of
slope, we can
represent the
weight of wedge
ABC as:
59
CULMANN’S METHOD
This W has
components that
are normal and
parallel to trial
failure surface
AC.
60
CULMANN’S METHOD
Using these
forces, we can
get the normal
and shear stress
on AC.
61
CULMANN’S METHOD
Note that the
shear stress here
is the developed
shear stress or
resistive shear
stress.
62
CULMANN’S METHOD
However, the
resistive shear
stress can also be
represented as:
63
CULMANN’S METHOD
If we equate the 2
representations
of resistive shear
stress, we can
show that:
64
CULMANN’S METHOD
If we equate the 2
representations
of resistive shear
stress, we can
show that:
65
CULMANN’S METHOD
Notice that this
equation only
holds for trial
surface AC
(angled at θ)
66
CULMANN’S METHOD
We have to check
it for other values
of θ as well (other
failure surface)
and see which
ones fail and is
most critical.
67
CULMANN’S METHOD
To do this, we use
the principle of
maxima and
minima (for a
given φ’d) to
determine the θ
(failure surface)
that will give us
the maximum
developed
cohesion.
68
CULMANN’S METHOD
Note that the boxed
terms are constants,
once we take the
derivative and
equate to zero, they
can be relocated and
multiplied to zero.
69
CULMANN’S METHOD
Setting the first
derivative with
respect to θ to
zero, we end up
with:
70
CULMANN’S METHOD
Setting the first
derivative with
respect to θ to
zero
71
CULMANN’S METHOD
We get the
critical value of θ
as:
72
CULMANN’S METHOD
And if we input
this critical θ to
the cohesion
equation again,
we get:
73
CULMANN’S METHOD
It can also be
rewritten as m =
stability number:
74
CULMANN’S METHOD
The critical
height can be
solved by
replacing c’d
with c and φ‘d
with φ‘.
75
CULMANN’S METHOD
The critical
height can be
solved by
replacing c’d
with c and φ‘d
with φ‘.
76
CULMANN’S METHOD
If a certain FS is
desired, you can
replace c’d and
φ‘d with values
to satisfy the FS
value (wrt to c’
and φ’)
77
EXAMPLE
If FS =3, then FS(c’) = FS(φ’) = 3

𝑐′ 28.75
𝑐′𝑑 = = = 𝟗. 𝟓𝟖 𝒌𝑷𝒂
𝐹𝑆 3
′ 𝑡𝑎𝑛∅′ 𝑡𝑎𝑛15
𝑡𝑎𝑛∅ 𝑑 = =
𝐹𝑆 3
𝑡𝑎𝑛15
∅′ 𝑑 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 = 𝟓. 𝟏⁰
3
78
EXAMPLE
Input desired developed c’ and φ’ to have FS = 3
(4)(9.58) sin 45 ∗ cos(5.1)

𝐻=
16.5 1 − cos(45 − 5.1)
79
EXAMPLE
Input desired developed c’ and φ’ to have FS = 3
𝑯 = 𝟕. 𝟎𝟑 𝒎
80
REFERENCES
• https://gifer.com/en/Wh2a
• http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Geoscie
nce/SurficialGeology/Landslides/Pages/Wha
tarethedifferenttypesoflandslides.aspx
• https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Diagra
m-of-a-lateral-spread-Source-US-Geological-
Survey_fig16_266969013
• http://igcseandalevelgeography.blogspot.co
m/
• https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/8782/landsl
ide-types
• https://giphy.com/gifs/japan-landslide-
w9TydWNzjWAWA

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SLOPE STABILITY 1

Japan National Route 168 – Nara, Japan.

*Morphologic means related to form/structure

NON MORPHOLOGIC FACTORS

NON MORPHOLOGIC FACTORS

NON MORPHOLOGIC FACTORS

The d subscript signifies “developed”

This allows us also to introduce other aspects

The forces F on left and right are equal and opposite

The perpendicular component:

The parallel component (causes the slip along AB):

The perpendicular component:

The parallel component (causes the slip along AB):

The normal stress was given earlier based on W.

Note that for granular soils (c’=0), FS

When the soil is a c-φ soil, then a

When the soil is a c-φ soil, then a

Consider the slope shown with height H. We

If FS =3, then FS(c’) = FS(φ’) = 3

Input desired developed c’ and φ’ to have FS = 3

(4)(9.58) sin 45 ∗ cos(5.1)

Input desired developed c’ and φ’ to have FS = 3

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