Chapter 1 – Slope Stability

CECE4131 - Geotechnical Engineering 2

Sources:
[1]SCT-Library Book
Principles of Geotechnical Engineering-
Eighth Edition
BRAJA M. DAS & KHALED SOBHAN
[2]ProQuest- Geotechnical Engineering
Handbook- Editor in Chief - Braja M
Das; Chapter 7- Khaled Sobhan

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 Slope Stability-Introduction [1]
Modes of Slope Failure
• An exposed ground surface that stands at an angle with
the horizontal is called an unrestrained slope. The
slope can be natural or man-made. It can fail in various
modes.
• The slope failures into the following five major
categories
– Fall
– Topple
– Slide
– Spread
– Flow

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• Fall. This is the detachment of soil and/or rock
fragments that fall down a slope (Figure 15.1).
Figure 15.2 shows a fall in which a large
amount of soil mass has slid down a slope.

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• Topple. This is a forward rotation of soil
and/or rock mass about an axis below the
center of gravity of mass being displaced

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• Slide. This is the downward movement of a
soil mass occurring on a surface of rupture
(Figure 15.4).

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• Spread. This is a form of slide (Figure 15.5) by
translation. It occurs by “sudden movement of
water-bearing seams of sands or silts overlain
by clays or loaded by fills”

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• Flow. This is a downward movement of soil
mass similar to a viscous fluid (Figure 15.6).

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 Factors Contributing to Slope
Movement [2]
• It usually is very difficult to identify a single
definitive cause that initiated a particular slope
movement.
• Most frequently, a combination of geologic,
topographic, climatic, human, and other factors
contribute simultaneously to the triggering of a
movement.
• All sliding type of slope movements (failures)
generally are associated with an increase in shear
• stresses and/or a decrease in the shear strength
of the slope material.
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 Factor of Safety[1]
• The task of the engineer charged with analyzing
slope stability is to determine the factor of safety.
Generally, the factor of safety is defined as

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• The shear strength of a soil consists of two
components, cohesion and friction, and may
be written as

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Infinite slope failure or Translational Landslide
when the movement of soil is translational [one
directional] or the soil mass moves translationally
then the landslide is called translational landslide.

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 Infinite Slope[2]
• Slopes can be considered as infinite in the
case of large landslides, where the solid mass
is moving approximately parallel to the ground
surface or the face of the slope.
• A planar slip surface is assumed. The slope
extends infinitely in the lateral and
longitudinal directions, and the length of the
slide is very long relative to the depth or
height of the sliding surface.

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 Infinite Slope- Effective Stress Analysis [2]

• Collinear forces PPS and PQR

• The slip surface is located at a depth z, Groundwater table at a height h
from the slip surface & Slope angle = β
• Width and length of the sliding block PQRS be b and l
• Weight of the block W, the normal force N, the shear forces S on the sliding
• plane, and the pore water force U perpendicular to the sliding surface
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• If the soil unit weight is γ, then the weight
of block
W = γzb.
Summing the forces parallel and perpendicular
to the slip plane:
N + U = W cos β = γzb cos β
S = W sin β = γzb sin β
Pore water pressure u is given by:
u = γwhp = γwh cos2 β
Pore water force U is given by:
U = ul = γwhl cos2 β = γwhb cos β
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By applying total stress analysis

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Problem 1: For the infinite slope with a steady state
seepage shown in Figure, determine:
a. The factor of safety against sliding along the soil-rock
interface.
b. The height, z, that will give a factor of safety (Fs) of 2
against sliding along the soil-rock interface.

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 Finite Slope Failure or Rotational Landslide
When the movement of the soil-mass is in two directions
simultaneously like rotation about certain centre then the
landslide is called rotational landslide.

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Stability analysis by Method of Slices[2]

• AC is arc of circle considered as trial failure surface with centre at O

• Trial failure surface is divided into slices
• The width of slice need not be same
• H is height of slope, r= radius of failure surface.
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• Wn is the weight of the slice
• Nr and Tr, respectively, are
the normal and tangential
components of the reaction
R.
• Pn and Pn+1 are the normal
forces and Tn and Tn+1
Shearing forces that act on
the sides of the slice

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Problem 2: For the slope shown in Figure, find
the factor of safety against sliding for the trial
slip surface AC. Use the ordinary method of
slices.

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 Problems
For a slope made up of clayey soil-mass shown
below, the angle of slope is 45o and height of
slope is 3.8m. Assuming a slip surface with
radius of 18m, angle of arc of 22o passing from
toe and cuts the top horizontal surface at 2m
from the top edge of the slope. Find the factor
of safety and discuss the stability of soil.
(assume arc length is equal to chord length).
Problems
 Problems
𝑐𝑅𝜃
𝐹=
σ 𝑊𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼

• Self-weight of the slipping soil-mass of 1m thickness = 𝛾 ×

𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠
22
• Length of the arc AFDB = 𝑅𝜃 = 18 × × 3.14 = 6.9𝑚.
180
• Length of the chord AB = 2 ×
𝜃
(𝑅 sin ) = 2 × 18 × sin 11 = 6.87𝑚 ≈ 6.9𝑚.
2
• As the length of the chord AB ≈ length of the arc AFDB
• Assuming the chord for the calculation of the area of the three
slices, as shown below:
Problems
 Problems
1 1
• Area of ∆BCD = 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 × ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = × 2 × 1.31 =
2 2
1.31𝑚2
• In ∆ACD,
• Area of ∆ACD = Area of ACY – Area of ADY = 2.49m2
• Area of the wedge = 1.31+2.49 = 3.8m2
• Assuming the self-weight acting at the centre of the arc
AFDB, the value of α is calculated as shown in figure
above as α =33.23’
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9.58×18×180×3.14
• Factor of safety 𝐹 == = 2.02
15.72×3.8 ×sin 33.23
 Problems
• For a slope made up of clayey soil-mass shown
below, has the angle of slope is 45o and height
of slope is 7.07m. Assuming a slip surface with
radius of 10m and angle of arc of 60’, this is
passing through the top edge and toe of the
slope. Find the factor of safety and discuss the
stability of soil.
Problems
 Problems
• Given that C = 9.58, R = 10m, θ = 60’,
𝛾=15.72kN/m3
• Assuming single slices for the calculation of the
sine component of self-weight
• Assuming the slice as parabolic triangle, area of
2
the wedge = × 𝑏 × ℎ
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• 𝑏 = 2 𝑅 sin 𝜃Τ2 = 2 × 10 × sin 30 = 10𝑚
• ℎ = 𝑅 − 𝑅 cos 𝜃Τ2 = 10 − 10 cos 30 = 1.34𝑚
 Problems
• For this case α = β = 45’
• Area of the wedge = 8.933m2
• Weight of the soil wedge = 𝛾 ×
𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 = 15.72 × 8.933 =
140.43 𝑘𝑁/𝑚 width.
60
9.58×10× ×3.14
• Factor of safety 𝐹 == 180
= 1.01
140.43 ×sin 45
Friction Circle Method and Taylor
Stability Method

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• The resultant of cohesive force is equal to
cohesion per unit area time the length of
chord AC.

• Cd is at distance a from centre O parallel to

chord AC in same direction

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 Location of critical circle
• For a slope angle β greater than 53°, the
critical circle is always a toe circle.
• For β<53°, the critical circle may be a toe,
slope, or midpoint circle, depending on the
location of the firm base under the slope.

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Solutions Using Slope Stability Charts[2]
Slope stability charts provide a quick and efficient way to determine
an approximate value of the factor of safety as a preliminary estimate
before embarking on a more detailed computer analysis for planning,
design, and back-analysis purposes.

Some of the benefits of using chart solutions are as follows:

1. Fast and efficient preliminary analysis of slope stability before more
rigorous computer analysis is undertaken
2. Rapid verification of computer-generated results as a quality
control step for subsequent more detailed computer analysis
3. Back calculation of the shear strengths of failed slopes by assuming
a factor of safety of unity
4. The ability to make quick comparisons between various design
alternatives
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Problem 5:

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