Active Limit Equilibrium Method of the Stability Analysis for Soil Slopes

Abstract

The stability of the soil slopes can be judged according to the critical moisture content and the actual moisture content when the soil slopes be in the limit equilibrium state. From the perspective of earth pressure, the critical moisture content is the moisture content when the soil slopes be in the active limit equilibrium state, at this time, the active earth pressure is 0. The critical moisture content can be determined and the stability of the slopes can be judged according to the relationship of the soil parameters and the moisture content and the active earth pressure being 0. The critical moisture content of the upright or declining cohesionless slopes can be determined according to the relationship of the internal friction angle and the moisture content. The critical moisture content of the upright cohesive slopes can be determined by solving the equation of the critical moisture content. For the declining cohesive slopes, first, the cohesive soil having the cohesion and internal friction angle is replaced by only having the equivalent internal friction angle of the cohesionless soil according to the principle of the equal strength, then, the critical moisture content can be determined according to the relationship of the equivalent internal friction angle and the moisture content of the declining cohesionless.