Slope Stability

SLOPE
 an exposed ground surface that stands at an
angle with the horizontal surface.

 whenever a mass of soil has an inclined surface,

the potential for part of the soil mass to slide
from a higher location to a lower one always
exists.
 Mode of slope failure

Fall.
Topple.
Slides : Rotational slides, Compound slides,
Translational slides (planar).
Spread.
Flows .
Fall

Toppling

Sliding

Slope failure (Das, 2010)

Spreading

Flowing

Slope failure (Das, 2010)

 Factors in considering method of slope
stability analysis
Types of soil.
Dimension and geometry of the slope
(height and gradient).
Gravitational factor.
Pore water pressure.
Tension crack.
Types of analysis.
Vibration or earthquakes.
Causes of slope failure (Budhu, 2011)
Causes of slope failure (Budhu, 2011)
Causes of slope failure (Budhu, 2011)
 Factor of safety

FOS = Available Shear Strength

Mobilized Shear Strength

FOS can be expressed in several ways :

i) General.
ii) With respect to cohesion.
iii) With respect to friction.
 General factor of safety
f
Fs  where :

d

Fs = factor of safety with respect to strength

f = average shear strength of the soil
d = average shear stress developed along the potential failure surface
Factor of safety with respect to cohesion

Factor of safety with respect to friction

Infinite slope vs finite slope
Infinite slope Finite slope
Slope which have great Any slope with limited
extent with uniform soil height.
conditions at any given depth Eg: slope of embankments,
below the surface. cuts etc.
The soil stratum is not
necessary homogenous with
depth but the strata of
different soils are parallel to
the slope surface.
 Stability of infinite slopes

Stability without seepage

c' tan  '
Fs  
H cos  tan  tan 
2

c' 1
H cr 
 cos2  (tan   tan  ' )
Stability with seepage

c'  ' tan  '

Fs  
 sat H cos  tan   sat tan 
2

Infinite slope with steady state seepage

(Das, 2002)
Example 1
An infinite slope is shown below. There is ground
water seepage and the ground water table
coincides with the ground surface. Determine the
factor of safety, Fs.
Slope Stability Analysis Approaches
Stability of finite slopes : plane failure surfaces

Stability of finite slopes : circular failure surfaces

Stability of finite slopes : circular failure surfaces (mass procedure method  = 0)

Stability of finite slopes : circular failure surfaces (mass procedure method  > 0)

Stability of finite slopes : circular failure surfaces (ordinary method of slices)

Stability of finite slopes : circular failure surfaces (Bishop method of slices)

Stability of finite slopes (plane failure surfaces)
CULMANN’S METHOD

From previous :

The maximum height of the slope can be calculate

using the following equation :
4c'  sin  cos ' 

 1  cos   '
H cr
Finite slope analysis by using Culmann’s method
(Das, 2002)
WORK EXAMPLE

A cut is to be made in a soil having =16.5kN/m3, c’=28.8kN/m2 and

’=15. The side of the cut slope will make an angle of 45 with the
horizontal. What should be the depth of the cut slope that will have a
factor of safety of 3?
Solution

4c'  sin  cos ' 

H cr 
 1  cos   '

Ans : 7.04m
 Stability of finite slope
(circular failure surfaces)
MASS PROCEDURE ORDINARY METHOD OF SLICES
• In this case, the mass of soil • The soil above the
above the surface of sliding is
taken as a unit. This procedure is surface of sliding is
useful when the soil that forms divided into a number
the slope is assumed to be
homogenous (although this is not of vertical parallel
the case in most natural slope). slices. The stability of
each slice is calculated
separately. This is a
versatile technique
(no homogeneity,
pwp).
 Shallow slope failure

Toe circle / slope circle Base failure

Modes of failure of finite slope (Das, 2010)
Mass procedure
(slopes in homogenous clay soil with  = 0)

(Das, 2010)
𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡,𝑀𝑟 Soil’s weight, W = cross sectional area x 
𝐹𝑠 =
𝑆𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡,𝑀𝑑 Sliding / disturbing moment, Md = Wl
Resisting moment, Mr= cLr where L = r
For equilibrium : Mr = Md
cr2 = Wl1 – Wl2
The critical failure curve when the ratio of cu to cd is a minimum.

𝜏𝑓 𝑐𝑢
𝐹𝑠 = =
𝑐𝑑 𝑐𝑑

For the case of critical circle, the developed cohesion, cd.

𝑐𝑑 = 𝐻𝑚

The critical height, Hcr

𝑐
𝐻𝑐𝑟 =
𝑚
Disturbing moment = Wx
Resisting moment = cLr where L = r
If tension crack occurs;
The slip circle is terminated at the tension
crack depth,

If the crack is filled with water, the water

pressure should be consider;
 WORK EXAMPLE
A cutting in a saturated clay is inclined at a
slope of 1V:1.5H and has a vertical height of
10m. The bulk unit weight of the soil is
18.5kN/m3 and its undrained cohesion is
40kPa. Determine the FOS against immediate
shear failure along the slip circle given.
Ignoring the tension crack.
Allowing for tension crack (empty of water).
Allowing for tension crack when full of water.
Ans : 1.44, 1.84, 1.65
(Whitlow, 2004)
(Whitlow, 2004)
(Whitlow, 2004)
•The corresponding circle that gives the lowest
FOS value is called critical circle.
• Fellenius (1927) and Taylor (1937) suggested that
(for critical circle case) :

f
cu
Fs  
cd cd cd  mH

cu
H cr  where m = Stability number
m
Definition of parameters for midpoint circle type of failure
(Das, 2010)
WORK EXAMPLE
A cut slope in saturated clay makes an angle of 56 with the
horizontal. Determine the maximum depth up to which the cut
could be made. Assume that the critical surface for sliding is
circularly cylindrical. What will be the nature of the critical circle?
 Mass procedure
(slopes in homogenous clay soil with  > 0)
TAYLOR’S STABILITY CHART
• Taylor proposed stability coefficients for the analysis of homogeneous
slopes.

c'
f ( ,  ,  ,  ' )  m
H cr
stability number, m can be obtain from stability
charts – Taylor’s stability number.
Fs  Fc  F
Taylor’s stability number (Das, 2010)
WORK EXAMPLE

Find the critical height of a slope with  = 45 to be constructed with a

soil having ’ = 20 and c’ = 15kN/m2. The unit weight of the compacted
soil will be 17kN/m3.

Ans : 14.706m
WORK EXAMPLE

A slope is shown in figure below. Determine the factor of safety with

respect to strength.

You might
need to use
graph papers

Ans : 1.73
• Assume d.
• Find m by using Taylor’s stability number chart.
• Calculate cd.
• Determine Fc and F. Both value must be the same. If not, make another
trial by assume new value of d.
 Stability of finite slope
(ordinary method of slices)
ORDINARY METHOD OF SLICES
• The soil above the surface of sliding is divided into a number of vertical
parallel slices. The stability of each slice is calculated separately. This is a
versatile technique (no homogeneity, pwp).
Stability analysis by ordinary method of slices
(Das, 2010)
Procedure
Draw to scale a cross section of the slope.
A trial curved surface along which sliding is
assumed to take place is drawn.
The trial surface is normally approximately
circular.
Soil between the trial surface and the slope is
then divided into a number of vertical slices of
equal width.
 Weight of soil within each slice = Slice volume x Soil unit weight

 Noted as W.
 Can be resolved into two component ;
i) component of W normal to the base, Wn and
ii) component of W parallel to the base, Wp
 It is the parallel component that tends to cause sliding.
 Resisting to sliding is afforded by the soil’s cohesion and
internal friction.
Cohesion force = Soil cohesion x Length of the slice

Friction force = Wn x Friction coefficient, tan 

• Apply value into formula

n p

 cL n  Wn cos n tan  

Fs  n 1
n p

W
n 1
n sin  n
WORK EXAMPLE
Find the factor of safety against sliding for the trial slip surface given.
Use ordinary method of slices.

Ans : 1.55
(Das, 2002)
 n p

Re sistingmoment  cL n  Wn cos n tan  

Fs   n 1
n p
Disturbingmoment
W
n 1
n sin  n
Stability of finite slope (Bishop method of slices)
BISHOP METHOD OF SLICES
• Bishop proposes a more refined solution to previous method where the effect
of forces on the sides of each slice are accounted.

n p
where :
 c' b  Wn tan  '
1
n

Fs 
n 1 m n  tan  ' sin  n
n p m n   cos n 
W
n 1
n sin  n Fs

Procedure
 Trial and error to find the value of Fs
 n p
where :
 c' b  Wn tan  '
1
n

Fs 
n 1 m n  tan  ' sin  n
n p m n   cos n 
W
n 1
n sin  n Fs

Bishop’s simplified method of

slices (Das, 2002)
Several number of failure surface must
be investigated so that the critical
surface(yields the lowest FOS value) can
be found.
This method gives satisfactory results in
most cases when incorporated into
computer programs.
Widely used.