❑INTRODUCTION

❑ INTRODUCTION
▪In this chapter we will study slope stability . From
which you should be able to :-
• Understand the forces and activies that provoke failures
• Understand the effects of geology, seepage , and
powerwater pressures on the stability of slopes
• Estimate the stability of slopes with simple geometry and
geological features.
❑ INTRODUCTION
• Types of slopes
• Failure types
• Causes of slope failure
• Analysis of slopes

So in this lectures what we look into is how we can

analyze a slope or arrive at a safe slope.
In case if the slope is unstable and we look into methods
for enhancing the stability of slope
❑ DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS
• Slip or failure zone :- Is a thin zone of soil that reaches
the critical state or residual state, resulting in movement of
the upper soil mass.
• Slip plane or failure plane or slip surface or failure
surface :- Is the surface of the slip or surface of
Failure .
• Sliding mass:- Is the mass of soil within the slip plane
and the ground surface.
• Slope angle ᾲs:-
Is the angle of inclination of a slope to the horizontal. The slope
angle is sometimes referred to as a ratio, for example 2:1
(horizontal (h) :vertical (v)

• Powerwater pressure ratio (ru ) :-

Is the ratio of powerwater force on a slip surface to the total
weight of the soil and any external loading.
❑ Questions to Guide your studying:-
• What types of slope failure are common in soil?
• What factors provoke slope failures?
• What is an infinite slope failure?
• What methods of analysis are used to estimate the factor of
safety of a slope?
• What are the assumptions of the various methods of analysis?
• How does seepage affect the stability of slope?
• What is the effect of rapid drawdown on slope stability?
❑ Some types of slope failure
▪Slope failures depend on the soil type, Soil stratification,
groundwater, seepage, and the slope geometry.
➢ A few types of slope failure that are common in soils
• Failure of slope along a weak zone of soil is called ( Translational slide )
• The sliding mass can travel long distances before coming to rest
(Translational slide are common in coarse – grained soil.)
Natural Slopes may fail due to
(a) Change of stress by:
(i) adding loads at the top of the slope
(ii ) increasing the angle of the slope
(iii ) excavating at the toe of the slope.
(b) Increase of pore water pressure by rainfall or rise of groundwater table
(c) Decrease of shear strength of soil due to weathering factors, migration (‫)هجرة‬
of fine particles by seepage water, change of the mineralogical composition of
soil, opening and softening of fissure (‫ )شقوق‬or progressive increases of shear
deformations
(d) Dynamic effect of earth quakes, explosives or pile driving.
Slopes of embankments may fail due to:
(a) Increase of stress on foundation soil
(b) Sudden drawdown of upstream water level in earth dams
(c) Dynamic effects.
Movement of soil mass along a thin
layer of weak soil

Slip or failure plane

Thin layer of weak soil

Flow slide
· Types of landfill failures
1. · Translational failure
2. · Rotational failure
Sliding failure of leachate collection system
The leachate collection system can slide on the underlying
liner system if the slope is too steep or too long. This type of
veneer failure often occurs during heavy rains. It is remedied
by pushing the sand or gravel back onto the lined slope.
However, if the failure surface is within the liner system, the
reconstruction will require more effort and cost. Leachate
collection soil sliding above or within the liner system is not an
uncommon situation.
Sliding failure of final cover system
The final cover system (topsoil and protection soil) can slide
on the liner system if the slope is too long or too steep. This
type of veneer failure often occurs during heavy rain. If only
soil is displaced, the remedy is to replace the soil. However,
the question of long-term stability remains. If the failure
surface is within the liner system, the implications are more
severe. Cover soil failures of this type above the waste mass
are not uncommon.
Rotational failure of sidewall slope or base
The soil mass behind the waste mass or beneath the
site could be unstable and fail. Failure is usually
rotational, emerging along the slope, at the toe, or
within the foundation. This is a true geotechnical
problem and applies to steep side slopes and/or soft
foundation soils. It is site specific and does not involve
liner systems or waste properties.
Rotational foundation failure through waste,
liner, and subsoil
A rotational failure can be initiated in a soft
foundation soil that can propagate up through the
waste mass. Such failures have occurred in both
unlined and lined sites, and can be massive (ex: up
to 500.000 m³).
Rotational failure within the waste mass
Failure can occur within the waste mass, completely
independent of the liner system. It is handled exactly as
the geotechnical failures illustrated before, except that
the material is waste (municipal or hazardous or inert)
instead of soil. Such failures are prompted by steep waste
slopes, high liquid content, and lack of waste placement
(operations) control.
Translational failure by movement along the
liner system
A translational failure can occur with the waste
sliding above, within, or beneath the liner system
at the base of the waste mass. The extension of
the failure plane back from the toe can propagate
up through the waste, or continue in the liner
system along the back slope. Such failures have
occurred at both clay-lined sites and at geo-
synthetically-lined sites. They have resulted in the
largest failures (involving over 1.000.000 m³ of
waste).
 ❑ SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE

1- Erosion
2- Rainfall
3- Earthquakes
4-Geological Features
❑ CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES
• EXCAVATION SLOPES

• Fill slopes

• RAPID DRAWDOWN
❑ How to Analyze A Slope Stability
So predominantly there are two
slopes, one is infinite slope,
other one is finite slopes
Finite slopes :-
That connect land at one elevation to land that is
not for away but is at different
elevation that means these connects the land at
different elevations.
finite slopes can also exist in nature and manmade.
So types of slopes when you look into it, now let us categorize
them they can be natural and man made slopes like hill side
and valleys and which form the natural slopes and coastal and
river cliffs are examples of the natural slopes
Infinite Slopes
The infinite slope that extends over a long
distance and the condition remain identical
along some surface or surfaces for quite some
distance that is the slope which can extend
over a long distance and conditions remain
identical that means properties remain
identical along some surface or some surfaces
for quite some distance,
• Infinite slopes have dimensions that extend over great
distances. The assumption of an infinite slope simplifies
stability calculations.
• Let us consider a clean, homogeneous, coarse-grained soil
of infinite slope, to use the limit equilibrium method.
• Assume that slip would occur on a plane parallel to the
slope. If we consider a slice of soil between the surface of
the slope and the slip plane .
Shear strength parameters used for analysis of slopes
Analysis of slope includes
(a) Determination of the position of the surface along which shearing stresses
are most critical.
(b) Determination of the value of these shearing stresses and comparing them
with the shearing resistance of the soil.

The shear strength parameters used in the analysis depend on type of

embankment and foundation soil, groundwater condition, rate of loading and
weathering effects
 The simplest analogue:
Driving force: Wsinθ
Resisting force: μWcosθ
m w cos θ

θ
 Let (AB) be the surface of a slope,
Slope failure occurs along plane (CD)
parallel to (AB), at some depth (z),
depending on the properties of soil

The forces acting on a soil element of

width (b) are:
(a) Self weight (W), which may include
any external load,
(b) Normal and shear forces (E1, E2, X1,
X2) on the sides,
(c) Normal and shear forces (N,T) on
the slip plane.

Forces acting on potential slip plane for infinite slope

The factor of safety (FS) for the translational slip is defined
As :
FS = FR / FD = μWcosθ/ Wsinθ = tan ɸ / tan ɵ

Clearly, when the dipping angle θ is smaller than the angle

of friction φ, the resisting force FR is greater than the driving
force FD, and the factor of safety (FS) is greater than 1, and
vice versa. When FS > 1, safe; FS = 1, onset of failure; and FS
< 1, failed.
Infinite slopes in cohesionless soil Infinite slopes in cohesionl soil
t
Unstable slope Strength
envelope

f Stable
slope
c
s

Stability condition for infinite slope in cohesive soil

t f = c + s tan f
tf
F .S . = where : c = cohesion
t
=
  z  cos2   tan f c + s tan f
  z  cos   sin f F.S. =
t
tan f
 F.S. = c +  z cos2  tan f
tan  =
 z cos  sin f
Types of failure of infinite slopes

Slope failure, which is divided into: i) Face failure

ii) Toe failure

Base failure

Methods of analysis of finite slopes

are given in the following sections.

The circular arc method

The method of slices

 The circular arc method The driving moment (MD) is given by MD = W . x
The surface of sliding in section is assumed to
be a circular arc. For fully saturated clay under The resisting moment (MR) MR = cu . Larc . r

undrained conditions (fu = 0)

Re sisting moment cu  Larc  r
F .S . = =
Driving moment W x

r .  {c.Larc }
F .S . =
{W .x}
The method of slices

In this method the potential slip surface is assumed to be a circular arc. The
soil mass above the assumed slip surface is divided into a number of vertical
slices. The factor of safety is defined as the ratio between the shear resistance
of soil and mobilized shear stress to maintain equilibrium. The factor of safety
is considered to be equal for all slices.
The driving moment about (O) is: M D = T  r

The resisting shear force along

S = c  Larc + N  tan f
a slice slip surface is given by:

M R =  (c  Larc + N tan f )  r
= c  Larc +  N  tan f  r
c  Larc +  N  tan f
 F.S. =
T
Type Style of Movement Rate Thickness(m) Materials

Rapid Earth Flow Translation and flow As much as several meters <2 Colluvium
per second (?)
Thin Slide Translation Slow, probably a few <2 Colluvium, artificial
centimeters per year with fill, till
episodes of more rapid
movement, 1-100 cm/day
Thick Slide Rotation and 0-50 cm/day 2-15 Colluvium, artificial
translation fill, glacial deposits
Block Glide Translation 0-25 cm/year 2-10

Block-extrusion Translation and 0-25 cm/year 10 Till on glacial lake

Glide extrusion clay
 COMMON STABLE SLOPE RATIOS
FOR VARYING SOIL/ROCK CONDITIONS

Soil/Rock Condition Slope Ratio (Hor:Vert)

Most rock ¼:1 to ½:1
Very well cemented soils ¼:1 to ½:1
Most in-place soils ¾:1 to 1:1
Very fractured rock 1:1 to 1 ½:1
Loose coarse granular soils 1 ½:1
Heavy clay soils 2:1 to 3:1
Soft clay rich zones or wet seepage areas 2:1 to 3:1
Fills of most soils 1 ½:1 to 2:1
Fills of hard, angular rock 1 1/3:1
Low cuts and fills (<2-3 m. high) 2:1 or flatter (for revegetation)
Protection and treatment of slopes

If a slope is exposed to external effects causing instability, it is common to

protect it by adopting one or more of the following procedures:

(a) Covering the slope by a layer of broken stones or coarse gravel,

usually 30 cm thick. This helps for protection against the action of
wind and rain.
(b) Using vegetation so that plant roots binds loose soil materials at the top of
the slope.
(c) Covering the slope by large blocks of rock over a suitable filter.
(d) Covering the slope by pitching in mortar over a suitable filter.
(e) Using reinforced concrete lining over a suitable filter.
If the factor of safety for stability of a slope is unsatisfactory, it is common to treat it
by following one or more of the following procedures

(a) Change of profile by lowering the slope

(b) Adding berm(s).
(c) Using additional load at the toe of the
slope
(d) Using retaining structure at the toe of the
slope
(e) Installing piles to interrupt the critical
failure surface.(Added resisting moment = P
. z)
(f) Using geotextiles which reinforce the
soil mass.
Example :-
A soil mass is resting on an inclined impermeable
clay layer, as shown in fig ,determine the factor
of safety against wedge failure along the
interface. The soil has C = 6 kN/m2 , Ø = 20⸰ ,
and ℽ = 17 kN/ m3.