Modelling Supports in Slide

Modelling of Support
 Interaction with slip surface
 Support must intersect slip surface to have effect on factor of safety

No effect on FS Support force will be applied

to factor of safety calculations
Modelling of Support
 Orientation of applied force
 End Anchored support, Grouted Tiebacks, or Soil Nails
 Force applied parallel to direction of support
 GeoTextiles or User Defined support
 3 options for applied force
 Tangent to slip surface,
 Parallel to support,
 Bisect tangent and parallel angles, or specify angle
 Micro Piles
 Tangent to the slip surface
Support Force
 End Anchored or Pile support
 Constant support force
 GeoTextile, Grouted Tieback
or Soil Nail support
 Tensile, pullout and stripping
 Failure mode determines support force
 User Defined Support
 Force diagram directly entered by user
Support Systems in Slide
 End anchored

End anchored force =

Anchor Capacity / Out of
Plane Spacing
 Support Systems in Slide
 GeoTextile

Strip coverage = (a / (a + b) ) x 100

Support Systems in Slide
 GeoTextile
 Support Systems in Slide
 GeoTextile

Anchorage = None
Three failure mechanisms are possible
Anchorage = Slope Face
Only tensile failure and pullout is
possible
Anchorage = Embedded End
Only tensile failure and stripping is
possible
Anchorage = Both Ends
Only tensile failure is possible
Support Systems in Slide
 GeoTextile

Linear   a   n tan 
a  n tan o
Hyperbolic 
a    n tan  o
Support Systems in Slide
 Grouted Tieback
Support Systems in Slide
 Grouted Tieback

Pullout
F1  BLo / S
Tensile
F2  T / S
Stripping
F3  ( P  BLi ) / S
Support Systems in Slide
 Grouted with friction
 Accounts for frictional strength of soil/grout interface
Support Systems in Slide
 Micro Pile
 Shear strength
Support Systems in Slide
 Soil Nail
 Bonded along entire length
 Equivalent to Grouted Tieback support with Bond Length = 100%
Active/Passive Support Forces
 Active (Method A, Duncan & Wright book)
resisting force  TN tan 
F TN , TS are normal and shear forces applied
driving force  TS by bolt to slice base

 Grouted Tiebacks, end-anchored bolts

 Exert force on sliding mass before movement takes place
 Uses allowable support capacity force
 Passive (Method B , Duncan & Wright book)
resisting force  TN tan   TS
F
driving force
 Soil nails or geo-textiles
 Resisting force developed upon movement of sliding mass
 Uses ultimate support capacity force
Failure surface
Safety Factor
50

0.000

0.500

1.000
45

1.500
1.687
2.000

2.500
40

3.000

3.500

4.000

4.500
35

5.000

5.500

6.000+
30
25
20

20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
Slice results
Safety Factor
0.000

0.500
33

37.8697
1.000

1.500 47.3378
32

2.000

2.500

3.000
31

3.500

4.000 118.298
127.159
30

4.500

5.000

5.500
29

6.000+

50.8835
28

12.247 100

33.2646
20
27

39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
Stress along failure surface

260

240

220

200
Shear Stress & Base Normal Stress kPa

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
-20
Distance m

spencer method
Radius (19.403) Center (34.000, 44.000) FS = 1.687 Base Normal Stress
Radius (19.403) Center (34.000, 44.000) FS = 1.687 Shear Stress
LEM Reinforcement Forces
 LEM reinforcement forces
 Load distribution along reinforcement is prescribed
 Magnitude of force included in LE calculations depends on location of
support-slip surface intersection

T1

T2

T3
Slope stability results
1.484

250.00 lbs/ft2

250.00 lbs/ft2

1400.00 lbs/ft2
Piles for Slope Stabilization
Outline
 Complex pile models imported from
RSPile
 Axial and lateral pile resistance
functions
 Multiple material slope with weak layer
 Non-circular slip surface
Piles for Slope Stabilization

Reinforced Concrete Square Piles

Driven Pile Installation Drilled Pile Installation

Piles for Slope Stabilization

Installed Piles

Stable Soil
Piles for Slope Stabilization

Installed Piles

Failure Surface

Stable Soil
Concept
 Applied soil displacement from ground to slip surface representing
the allowed soil displacement tolerance based on design criteria
 Depth and angle of slip surface intersection will determine the
magnitude of axial and lateral displacement

Slip surface
Supports in slope stability analysis
 Improves stability in two ways:
 Direct resistance to sliding
 Modifying normal stress on sliding surface
 Relative contribution depends on:
 Orientation
 Type of reinforcement
 Depth of sliding
 Frictional resistance of soil
Challenges in selecting supports
 Most support elements are passive elements
 Stability for the slope must be within tolerable deformations
 Load distribution between soil and support is complex
 Both resistance (Axial and lateral) must be compatible
Predicting pile resistance
 Estimate profile of soil movement
 Resolve soil movement into axial and lateral components
 Predict axial and lateral resistance
 Use “p-y” analyses for lateral load transfer
 Use “t-z” analyses for axial load transfer
 Select appropriate axial and lateral resistance (consider
compatibility and serviceability)
p-y analyses for lateral resistance
Pile Model Input Profile of
Lateral Soil Movement
δ lat
Lateral Component
Soil Lateral
of moving soil
Resistance (p)

Pile Bending
Stiffness (EI)
Sliding Surface

Transition (Sliding) Zone

Stable Soil
(no soil movement)

z
Lateral resistance from p-y analyses
 For an assumed depth of sliding:
1. Apply displacements above sliding surface for the soil
mass
2. Perform p-y analyses
3. Resistance response is shear force in pile at the sliding
depth
4. Re-run previous steps with increasing the displacement
until a limit state is reached
Lateral resistance
Pile Deformation (cm) Mobilized Bending Mom. (kN-cm) Mobilized Shear Force (kN)
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 -1500 -750 0 750 1500 -80 -40 0 40 80
0 0 0

10 10 10

clay

20 20 20
Depth (ft)

30 30 30

slide

40 40 40

rock
50 50 50

60 60 60
Mobilization of lateral resistance
50

45

40
Mobilized Shear Force (kN)

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0

Total Slope Movement (cm)

t-z analyses for axial resistance
Input Profile of
Axial Soil Movement
Cap Bearing δ axial
Soil Shear
Axial Component Resistance (t)
of moving soil

Pile Axial
Stiffness (EA)
Sliding Surface

Transition (Sliding) Zone

Stable Soil
(no soil movement) Soil End
Bearing (Q) z
Axial resistance from t-z analyses
 For an assumed depth of sliding:
1. Apply displacements in soil above sliding surface
2. Determine response from t-z analyses
3. Resistance response is axial force in shaft at depth of sliding
4. Re-run steps 1-3, increasing displacement until a limit state is
reached
5. Axial force found at first limit state is available resistance for that
sliding depth
Mobilization of axial resistance
Mobilized Axial Load (kN)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
0

10

clay
20
Depth (m)

30
Slide

40

rock
50

60
Mobilization of axial resistance
160

140
Mobilized Axial Force (kN)

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25

Total Slope Movement (cm)

Piles for Slope Stabilization

 RSPile is a stand alone

product for pile analysis

 Special integration with

Slide for slope stability
analysis
Concept
 Applied uniform soil displacement
 Enter a Soil Displacement and a Sliding Depth
 Can be used for RSPile and for Slide 7.0
Concept
 User defined Soil Displacement Profile
 Can only be used in RSPile
Axially Loaded Piles (Settlement, Axial Force)
Axially Loaded Piles (Settlement, Axial Force)

Axial Force (kN)

Sliding Depth

Depth (m)

Axial Force at the Sliding Depth is the Axial Resistance Against Sliding
Laterally Loaded Piles (Deflection, Moment and Shear)
Laterally Loaded Piles (Deflection, Moment and Shear)

Shear Force (kN)

Sliding Depth

Depth (m)
Shear Force at the Sliding Depth is the Lateral Resistance Against Sliding
Pile Resistance Against Sliding
Max Allowable
Displacement

Ultimate Displacement

 Repeat process for a number of sliding depths to develop resistance

functions
Methods for analyzing Pile Resistance
 For the axial and lateral directions independently:
 Max Allowable Displacement: Compute the sliding
resistance based on user defined displacement. If
model at this displacement is unstable, decrease
applied displacement for that sliding depth until
the model converges.
 Ultimate Displacement: Increase displacement
until the maximum axial and lateral resistance is
reached. User may define an Ultimate Soil Cutoff
to stop searches for infinite or near infinite
strength models
Model
Geometry
 Predefined initial model  Open Analyzing Pile Resistance using RSPile
(initial).slim
Material Properties

Pre-defined
Materials
Material Properties

Pre-defined
Materials
Material Properties

Pre-defined
Materials
Supports
 Select: Support  Add Support
 Select OK.

 Use the prompt line to enter the following exact points:

Enter vertex [t=table, esc=cancel]: 65 40
Enter vertex [t=table, esc=cancel]: 65 19

 Add a second support.

Enter vertex [t=table, esc=cancel]: 71 44
Enter vertex [t=table, esc=cancel]: 71 19
Supports
 The model should appear as follows:
Supports
 Select: Properties  Define Support

Change to RSPile Type

Run RSPile Utility

RSPile
Define pile model using RSPile
RSPile
 Define pile properties using RSPile
 Select: Run the RSPile Utility (from Define Support Properties dialog)
 Or
 from the Start menu, select Programs  Rocscience  RSPile 1.0 
RSPile.
RSPile – Laterally Loaded Piles
 Select: Laterally Loaded Piles
 You should see the following default laterally loaded pile model.
Soil Properties for Laterally Loaded Piles
 Define soil material properties on
the bottom left corner of the
table view
 Layer thicknesses or pile length
depends on the location
provided by Slide
 One RSPile model file to define
the soil and pile properties for
multiple piles of various
embedment lengths and soil
layer configurations.
Soil Properties for Laterally Loaded Piles
Soil Types:
 Elastic
 Soft Clay Soil
 Submerged Stiff Clay
 Dry Stiff Clay
 Sand
 Weak Rock
 User Defined
Medium Sand for Laterally Loaded Piles
 Notice that the effective unit
weight entered in RSPile is equal
to the total unit weight entered
in Slide since all the material is
assumed to be above the
groundwater table.
Dense Sand for Laterally Loaded Piles
 Define Layer 2: User Defined Material  Select: Enter p-y curve
Soft Clay for Laterally Loaded Piles
 Define Layer 3: Soft Clay Soil

Select: Add Layer

RSPile – Laterally Loaded Piles
 The model will look as follows
RSPile – Axially Loaded Piles
 You can toggle between lateral and axial mode using toggle buttons
 Select: Axial Mode
RSPile – Axially Loaded Piles
 Alternatively,
 Select: Project Settings
 Analysis Type
 Units
 Pile Segments
 Convergence Tolerance
 Number of Iterations
RSPile – Axially Loaded Piles
 Elastic
 API Sand
 API Clay
 User Defined
RSPile – Axially Loaded Piles
 Layer names, thickness and colours are the same in either mode
 Closest available base soil model (sand, clay, rock or user defined) has
been selected for each layer
 The user always has the option of re-assigning that soil layer type to a
different soil model as long as it has the same base type.
 User may change the clay layer to Soft Clay Soil, Submerged Stiff Clay or Dry
Stiff Clay in lateral mode.
Medium Sand for Axially Loaded Piles
 Define Layer 1: API Sand
 Model developed by the American
Petroleum Institute for driven piles in
cohesionless soil
Dense Sand for Axially Loaded Piles
 Define Layer 2: User Defined Material  Select: Enter t-z curve

Assume no end
bearing
resistance:
no need to
define Q-z
curve
Medium Sand for Axially Loaded Piles
 Define Layer 3: API Clay
 Model developed by the American
Petroleum Institute for driven piles in
cohesive soil
Pile Properties
 Select: Define Pile Properties
Pile Properties
 You can easily switch between pile types using the Active Pile section
of the Pile Properties on the left table view
Save File
 Select: File  Save As
 Name file as “PileModel1.rspile”
 Import the RSPile file into Slide.
 Remember that we can use the same RSPile file for multiple piles and
soil profiles.
Importing RSPile into Slide
Importing RSPile model into Slide
 Navigate back to Slide
 Select: Properties  Define Support
 Change Support Type to RSPile
 Select: Choose file
Importing RSPile model into Slide
 Find “PileModel1.rspile”, open and select Ok.

 Match Slide materials with the corresponding RSPile material.

Importing RSPile model into Slide
 You can always reassign the RSPile materials at any time using the
Match materials button
Resistance Type
 In the Define Support Properties dialog, you can consider only axial
resistance, only lateral resistance or both in your analysis. Set it to
Axial and Lateral.
Controlling the Applied Soil Displacement
 The user has the ability to define a max allowable displacement or
increase the applied soil displacement until an ultimate resistance is
reached.
Compute
 Before you analyze your model, save it as a file called
Slide_Import_RSPileModel1.slim. (Slide model files have a .slim
filename extension).
 Select: File  Save As
 Select: Analysis  Compute
Interpret
Viewing Results
Interpret
 Select Analysis  Interpret
Pile Resistance
Select: Query  Show Slices
 Pile resistance is indicated by the blue
arrow with its origin located at the
intersection of the pile and slip
surface.
 The direction of pile resistance is
always opposite to the direction of
sliding although it may not always be
tangent to the slip surface.
 Each slip surface will have a different
pile resistance depending on the
depth and angle of intersection.
Back Analysis and Slope
Reinforcement
Example - Reinforced Slope
 Given the following slope, a minimum factor of safety was found using
the Bishop Simplified method and a Grid Search

Bishop Simplified
Factor of Safety: 0.988
Objective
 This is just at critical equilibrium, so we will use a support pattern to
increase the factor of safety of the slope to the required 1.5
 To estimate the properties of the support pattern we will first use the
Back Analysis of Support option
Back Analysis of Support Force
 Calculate support force required to achieve specified factor of safety
 Algorithm determines slip surface and support force
 Support force is calculated using assumption that force could be either
passive or active
Back Analysis of Support Force
 Support design
 Use force magnitude to determine spacing and capacity of support
 Depending on support type, either active or passive force can be used
 Use slip surface locations to estimate length of support
Back Analysis Example
 Design of Grouted Tieback support
 In back analysis dialog specify FS of 1.5

 Find required support force

 In interpreter, find locations of all slip surface with FS below 1.5 (to determine
support length)
 Capacity force = Force * spacing / number of bolts
 Re-run example with support and check your FS
Method
 Next, a Grouted Tieback support pattern will be added to the slope,
making sure that it intersects the minimum slip surface. The Grouted
Tieback has the following properties:

Bonded Length = 50%

Bond Strength =15 kN/m
Method
 The support pattern is added to the slope, making sure that it
intersects the minimum slip surface. It has the following
characteristics:

Orientation = Angle from Horizontal

Angle = –10°
Length = 15m
Spacing = 3m
Result
 The result of this support is that the minimum slip surface’s factor of
safety increased to be above one, and the minimum slip surface
moved further back into the slope

Bishop Simplified (active support)

Factor of Safety: 1.46
End