Implementation of a large deformation finite element modelling technique for seismic slope stability analyses

Abstract

Post-slide investigations show large displacement of failed soil mass in many earthquake-triggered landslides. An Eulerian-based finite-element modelling (FEM) of large deformation of soil, for pseudostatic and dynamic loadings, is presented in this study. The Eulerian FEM is compared with Lagrangian-based explicit and implicit finite-element (FE) modelling approaches. The dynamic FE modelling of two hypothetical slopes for eight earthquake acceleration–time histories show that the failure surfaces develop progressively, which cannot be modelled using the traditional limit equilibrium method (LEM). A large plastic shear strain concentration (i.e. shear band formation) occurs when the strain-softening behaviour of soil is considered. The similarities and differences between the results of dynamic and pseudostatic FE analyses based on estimated pseudostatic coefficient from acceleration–time records are presented. The duration of an earthquake influences the failure process and displacement of the failed soil mass. The displacement of the toe obtained from FEM is compared with Newmark's simplified approach. The developed Eulerian-based FE modelling technique has been used to simulate large-scale landslides in sensitive clays due to earthquake loading [1].