Abstract
Large-scale slopes at the banks of reservoirs pose a serious threat to the safety of hydropower stations. The fluctuation of the reservoir water level is a key factor in the slope stability. However, the parameters to describe the relationship among water content, matric suction, and soil strength are difficult to measure using unsaturated soil strength theory. To solve this problem, a simple FEM-LEM-combined scheme considering pore pressure, seepage force, and strength weakening is presented to calculate the safety factor. A numerical study on the impact of reservoir water level fluctuations on stability of a glaciofluvial deposit slope is implemented. Two typical profiles are used to estimate the stability of the glaciofluvial deposit slope in response to rising and lowering water levels. The results indicate that this method proposed a simple and efficient tool for water level-induced slope stability analysis.
Highlights
Compared with general landslides, landslides occurring at the banks of reservoirs are unique, in that their occurrence is correlated to fluctuations in reservoir water levels, wave erosion effects, and water immersion [1,2,3]
The slope stability analysis under reservoir water level fluctuations is of high significance for the safety of hydropower engineering
When the slope is in the condition of impoundment, the influence of the seepage force on the slope stability is in favor of increasing the safety factor
Summary
Landslides occurring at the banks of reservoirs are unique, in that their occurrence is correlated to fluctuations in reservoir water levels, wave erosion effects, and water immersion [1,2,3]. Some case studies have already analyzed the impact of unstable reservoir slopes and landslides on the construction of hydropower stations [2, 17, 22,23,24,25]. The slope stability analysis under reservoir water level fluctuations is of high significance for the safety of hydropower engineering. In the analysis of slope stability with water level fluctuation, unsaturated soil strength theory is often used. For most widely used codes, the unsaturated theory is used, and the slope stability in this situation cannot be calculated directly. To solve this problem, a simple FEMLEM coupling method for slope stability under reservoir water level fluctuations is proposed. Two profiles of a glaciofluvial deposits are analyzed in the impoundment and drawdown condition to indicate the ability of this method
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