Application of Horizontal Slice Method (HSM) on Soil Nailed Slopes

Abstract

Stability analysis on soil nailed models tested in the centrifuge is performed via Simplified Horizontal Slice Method (HSM) (Shahgholi et al., 2001). The analysis avoids the difficulty of handling interslice forces on the reinforcements when vertical slices are used as slicing can be made horizontally. This paper describes the formulation used in its global stability analysis performed on centrifuged soil nailed models in which inclined reinforcements were used. The formulation also includes additional considerations on centrifuge model boundary effects in the stability analysis. Detail formulation on the soil nail strength included in HSM analysis is also discussed. Safety factors from HSM analysis are compared with values produced from programme Slope (Borin, 1998), which utilises Janbu’s Simplified Method, where both analysis show reasonably close values.