SLOPE STABILIZATION METHODS

SUBMITTED TO:- DR. ASHWANI JAIN

SUBMITTED BY :- JYOTIKA
TABLE OF CONTENTS

 INTRODUCTION
 STABILIZING APPROACHES (INCLUDING DRAINAGE STRUCTURES)
 CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION

 To create different types of facilities sometimes soil needs to be retained or excavated.

 The soil can’t be retained or excavated vertically upto infinite depth, beyond a certain
depth supports are required.
 To cater this problem of limited depth, excavations are made in sloped manner as
slopes are generally less expensive than walls.
 Similarly there are slopes that exist naturally in nature like hills, deserts etc.
 These slopes are analyzed for stability using different methods and if unstabilitiy
indicates, stabilization methods are required.
 Practically natural forces like wind and water(erosion, rainfall, eathquakes, nearby
constructions) change the topography leading to unstabilitiy.
STABILIZING APPROACHES

1 Decrease in driving force

• Change geometry • Lower groundwater
2 Increase resisting force
• Change geometry • Lower groundwater • Increase shear strength of soil mass
3 Surface Erosion Protection
4 Soil reinforcement
• Geosynthetic reinforcement • Soil nailing • MSE Walls • Stone columns • Retaining walls
STABILIZING METHODS – CHANGING GEOMETRY

CHANGING GEOMETRY
LEADS TO INCREASE IN
THE LENGTH OF ARC OF
FAILURE SURFACE
WHICH HELPS IN
INCREASING SHEAR
RESISTANCE.

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UNLOADING

 Unloading is a technique to reduce the driving forces within a slide mass.

 Excavation is a common method for increasing the stability of a slope by reducing the driving forces
that contribute to movements. This can include
(I) Removing weight from the upper part of the slope (also called removal of the head)
(2) Flattening slopes
(3) Benching

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EXCAVATION OF HEAD
OF SLIDE(used for existing slopes) FLATTENING OF SLOPES
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BENCHING

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BUTTRESSING

 Buttressing is a technique used to offset or counter the driving forces of a slope by an externally
applied force system that increases the resisting force.
 Buttresses may consist of

(I) Soil and rock fill

(2) Counterberms
(3) Shear keys

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SoiI and rock fill is used to provide sufficient
dead weight near the toe of an unstable slope
to prevent movement where resources are
available and where soil and rock fill can be
found locally, this method is the most
practical way to arrest further movement of
an unstable slope
A counter berm is used to provide weight at the
toe of a slope and to increase the shear strength
below the toe. This is particularly useful for
embankments over soft soils where the ground at
the toe can move upward and form a bulge. By
locating a counterbeam where the upheaval is
expected to occur, the resistance along sliding is
also increased.
EFFECT OF COUNTER BERMS

Shear keys are used sometimes to provide additional

sliding resistance for a counterbeam or rocky/soil buttress.
The main purpose of a shear key is to force the critical slip
circle deeper into a stronger underlying formation, thereby
increasing the resistance along the slip surface. 11
DRAINAGE

 Of all stabilization techniques considered for the correction or prevention of landslides, proper water drainage is the most
important.
 Drainage reduces the destabilizing hydrostatic and seepage forces on a slope as well as the risk of erosion and piping
 SURFACE DRAINAGE:- Carefully planned surface drainage is essential for treatment of any slide or potential
slide. Temporary remedial measures usually considered after a landslide include
(1) Using sandbags to divert water runoff away from the failure zone
(2) Sealing cracks with surface coatings such as shotcrete, lean concrete, or bitumen to reduce water infiltration
(3) Covering the ground surface temporarily with plastic sheets or the like to reduce the risk of movement during construction
Surface runoff usually is collected in permanent facilities such as V- or U-shaped concrete lined
or semicircular corrugated steel pipe channels and diverted away from the slide mass.

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 CATCHMENT PARAMETERS:-
Catchment parameters to be considered in drainage systems design
include
(1) Area and shape of the catchment zone
(2) Rainfall intensity
(3) Steepness and length of the slope being drained
(4) Condition of the ground surface and nature of the subsurface
soils
(5) Nature and extent of vegetation
CHANNEL FOR SURFACE DRAINAGE These parameters are site-specific and cannot be generalized

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SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE The FOS against failure on any potential slip surface that passes below
the phreatic surface can be improved by subsurface drainage. Methods that can be used to accomplish
subsurface drainage are
(I) Drain blankets
(2) Trenches
(3) Cut-off drains
(4) Horizontal drains
(5) Relief drains
(6) Drainage tunnel

Subsurface Drainage Blankets When there is a thin layer (not more than 10 feet) of poor-quality
saturated soil at a shallow depth (not deeper than 15 feet beneath a proposed embankment), and when there
are materials of better quality below that layer, it may be practical to remove the poor quality layer and
replace it with a well-draining soil fill . The bottom of the excavation should be covered with a layer of filter
fabric wrapping a 6- to 24-inch-thick filter stone layer with a perforated pipe embedded in it to capture flow .
To minimize surface erosion, a drainage ditch should be installed to convey water flow from the outlet of the
pipe to a suitable discharge point. 14
Trenches Deep trenches should be constructed when subsurface water or soils of questionable strength
are found at such great depths that stripping of the soils as is not practically feasible.

Trenches usually are excavated at the steepest stable side slopes for the construction period.
Any trench so excavated should extend below the water-bearing layer.

The trench should be backfilled with a layer of pervious material encased in filter fabric that has an
underdrain pipe running through it
 Cut-Off Drains At a site where shallow
groundwater is encountered, cut-off drains can be used
to intercept the groundwater flow. An impermeable
zone or membrane is used as a cut-off downslope of the
drain, and the top zone of the trench is backfilled with
impermeable material. Runoff from the upper slopes
should be collected in drainage channels.

Horizontal Drains Horizontal drains can be used where the

depth to subsurface groundwater is so great that the cost of stripping
or placing drainage trenches is prohibitive. Horizontal drains should
be designed specifically to lower the seepage pressures in slopes and
to prevent failure. . A horizontal drain is a small-diameter (say 3- to
4-inch diameter) hole drilled at a 5 to 10 percent grade and fitted
with a 2- to 2½-inch-diameter perforated pipe wrapped in filter
fabric . Water captured by the drains is often discharged on benches 16
sloped for drainage and the toe of the slope equipped with
underdrains.
Relief Wells The principal function of relief wells is to lower
the water pressures in layers that are deep down in the subsoil,
layers that cannot be reached by open excavation methods or
horizontal drains because of cost or construction difficulties.
Relief wells are vertical holes with a diameter of about 16 to 24
inches. A perforated pipe with a 4- to 8-inch diameter is placed
inside the hole. The annular space between the borehole and the
pipe should be filled with filter material.

Drainage Tunnels or Galleries A drainage tunnel (also

called drainage gallery) may be considered when a cut to be
dewatered is so large that it requires a substantial number of
horizontal drains, when groundwater is at such a depth that it is
impossible to reach by open excavation methods, or when the
topography makes horizontal drains impractical
Tunnels are effective for correcting unstable zones of large
proportions, but they have relatively high construction costs. 17
SOIL REINFORCEMENT

Reinforced Soil in a Nutshell

• Soil: Strong in compression, weak in tension
• Reinforcement can carry tensile stresses
• Soil + Reinforcement ⇒ Structure strong under both compression and tension
• Analogous to reinforced concrete

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Mechanically Stabilized Embankments Mechanically
stabilized embankments (MSE) involve the designed use of
backfill soil and thin metallic strips, mesh, or geosynthetic
reinforcement mesh to form a gravity mass capable of
supporting or restraining large imposed loads .
The MSE slope face is either vertical or inclined, and the
backfill material is typically confined behind metal, reinforced
concrete, or shotcrete facing.
The mesh or geosynthetic is sometimes wrapped around the soil
at the face between reinforcement layers. an MSE slope must
satisfy the same external design criteria as a conventional
retaining wall. That is, it must resist forces that can cause
overturning, sliding at or below the base, and global instability

MAJOR COMPONENTS OF MSE WALLS

• fill material (soil)
• Reinforcement
• Facing
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MAJOR ADVANTAGES

• Simple and rapid construction

• Cost effective
• Less site preparation
• Unskilled labor and small equipment
• Reduced ROW acquisition
• Less space needed in front during construction
• No deep foundations
• Technically feasible to heights > 100 ft

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SOIL NAILS

 Soil Nailing - an in situ technique for reinforcing, stabilizing and retaining excavations and deep cuts through the
introduction of relatively small, closely spaced inclusions (usually steel bars) into a soil mass, the face of which is
then locally stabilized.
 The “nails” are passive – they required soil movement to mobilize their strength.
 Reinforced earth looks similar, but the fill material in which the reinforcement is placed is fill rather than in situ
soil.
 Earth Anchors look similar, but they are active elements – tensioned

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ADVANTAGES
• Incorporation of temporary support in final
structure
• Potential reduction in right-of-way
• Rapid construction
• Large number of nails - redundant system
• Cost effective

DISADVANTAGES
• Permanent underground assements may be
required
• Difficult to construct wall with high
groundwater
• Nail capacity may not be economical in
highly plastic clays
• Ground displacements
• Durability of shotcrete with respect to freeze
thaw 22
• Soil face must exhibit sufficient stand up time
DESIGN OF SOIL NAILS

 Soil nailing system design involves spacing, size, and length of the nails and design of the wall facing.
 Design of the wall facing (materials, thickness, and reinforcement) is dependent on the nail forces assumed. The
desired FOSs used in the design analysis are different from case to case and should be compatible with the use of
the wall (whether it is a permanent or temporary wall) and economic and risk-to-human-life consequences of the
slope.
 For permanent soil nailed slopes, corrosion protection should always be considered in design.
 Generally construction takes place in increments of 5fts.
 Excavation-drill nail hole-install and grout nail-temporary

Facing-construction of subsequent levels-place final facing

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FAILURE MODES

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STONE COLUMNS

 Stone columns can be used to stabilize or prevent landslides . This ground improvement technique increases the
average shear resistance along a potential slip surface by replacing or displacing the in situ soil with a series of
closely spaced, large diameter compacted stone.
 In addition stone columns also functions as efficient gravel drains

by providing a path of relief of pore water pressures,

thereby increasing strength of surrounding clayey soil.

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RETAINING WALLS

 The most common use of retaining walls for slope stabilization is when a cut or fill is required and there is not
sufficient space or right-of-way available for just the slope itself.
 The wall should be deep enough so that the critical slip surface passes around it with an adequate FOS. In
addition, the ability of the retaining wall to perform as a stabilizing mass is a function of how well it will resist
overturning moments, sliding forces at or b.elow its base, and internal shear forces and bending stresses.
 Retaining wall types include:

(I) Conventional gravity or cantilever retaining walls

(2) Driven piles
(3) Tieback walls

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Gravity and Cantilever Retaining Walls The design of retaining walls is based on classical soil mechanics and
should consider the forces that drive overturning and sliding at the wall base.
Overall stability of the walls should also be satisfied. Shear keys are sometimes required to provide adequate sliding
resistance

Driven Piles Driven piles are sometimes used to provide

stabilization of landslides in natural hillsides and engineered
slopes.
This method is only appropriate for shallow slides and soils
that will not tend to flow between the piles.
Deep-seated slides often generate very high lateral forces,
which cannot easily be resisted by piles. Piles should be
embedded in firm and competent ground to avoid being
uprooted and overturned.
A slab of reinforced concrete is sometimes placed between the
piles to increase the overall effectiveness of the system and to
arrest soil flow between piles.

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Tieback Walls Tieback walls can be used instead of
conventional walls when wall location or space constraints limit
excavation of the footing
Tieback wall designs use the principle of carrying the lateral
earth pressure on the wall by a "tie" system that transfers the
imposed load to a zone behind the potential or existing slip
plane where satisfactory resistance can be established.
The tiebacks consist of post-tensioned steel cables, rods, or
wires attached to dead men (as used in embankments) or
grouted to a firm, strong bearing stratum (as used in cuts).

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VEGETATION AND SURFACE PROTECTION
Vegetation (grass, shrubs, and trees) is highly effective and advantageous for soil stabilization purposes.It
helps in decreasing erosion potential.

Hydrologic Effects 1. Foliage intercepts rainfall reducing the rate at which water seeps into the subsurface. Absorption
and evaporation reduce the amount that reaches the soil
2. Roots and stems increase surface roughness, increasing infiltration
3. Roots extract moisture from the soil which is transpired to the atmosphere
4. Soil moisture depletion can desiccate the soil and cause cracking that allows increased infiltration
Mechanical Effects
5. Roots reinforce the soil ,increasing shear strength
6. Tree roots may anchor into underlying rock, supporting the overlying soil
7. Weight of trees surcharges the slope. Increasing normal and down-slope force components
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8. Vegetation exposed to wind transmits dynamic forces into the slope
9. Roots bind soil particles at the ground surface and increase surface roughness which reduces erosion
Erosion Control Mats and Blankets As discussed, vegetation can be used to protect slopes from erosion.
However, the plant seeds that are placed usually require two to six weeks for germination (a time frame also
influenced by the amount of water that occurs).
During the period of germination, seeds must be protected. Erosion control mats and blankets are often used to
prevent the seeds from washing away.
Erosion control mats and blankets consist of
1 Natural (organic) and synthetic mats and blankets
2 Roving
3 Soil confinement system

Natural and Synthetic Mats and Blankets Natural mats and blankets generally are machine- or hand-woven
products composed of wood excelsior, straw, or other natural filaments bound together with a tough biodegradable
mesh.
They retain soil moisture, control surface temperature fluctuations of the soil, conform to the terrain, protect
against sun burnout, and break up rain drops to minimize erosion.
These materials disintegrate after the plants grow and become well established

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Roving Roving is a pneumatically applied synthetic fiber covering held in place by emulsified asphalt.
There are two types of roving. One is fiberglass roving formed from fibers drawn from molten glass. The other is
polypropylene roving formed from continuous strands of fibrillated polypropylene.
Erosion-control roving is unique because of the flexibility of application that allows any width or thickness of
material to be applied.
Like the synthetic mats and blankets, fiberglass and ultraviolet-treated polypropylene are resistant to biodegradation
and are a long-lasting erosion control material.
Before installation, the slope should be prepared either mechanically or manually so seed, fertilizer, and lime may be
applied

Soil-Confinement Systems Soil-confinement systems generally consist

of a series of honeycomb-like cells formed into a spreadable sheet or blanket.
Sheets of the material are anchored and filled with soil,
creating a solid pavement like surface in areas of poor surface soil stability.
The products are generally made from a high density polyethylene or
nonwoven polyester material

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SURFACE SLOPE PROTECTION

 The objective of surface slope protection is to prevent infiltration by rainfall so that the slope can be maintained
dry or partially dry. Surface slope protection measures include
1 application of shotcrete
2 chunam plaster
3 rip-rap.

SHORTCRETE The main purpose of shotcrete is to protect the slope from rainfall infiltration. The specifications
for materials used are similar to those adopted for conventional concreting, although the aggregates are specially
selected not only to meet the requirements of the finished surface but also to prevent segregation while the shotcrete
is being pumped and applied.
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CHUNAM PLASTER It is a cement-lime stabilized soil used as a plaster to protect the surface of excavations
from erosion and infiltration
The recommended mix for chunam plaster is I part by weight of portland cement. 3 parts hydrated lime, and 20
parts clayey weathered granitic or volcanic soils
. The soils should be free of organic matter. grass, and roots. The cement and lime should be mixed dry before soil
is added.
The minimum amount of water consistent with the required workability should then be added to the mix.

Rip-Rap Erosion of toes of slopes by moving water in rivers,

streams, and oceans is common and often causes instability
if left unattended. The general solution for this problem is to
protect the toe of the slope with layers of rip-rap placed
at the base of the slope to an elevation of about
3 to 5 feet above the mean high-water level

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THANK
YOU!!
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