Abstract
Moderate (3H : 1V) to steep (2.5H : 1V) slopes and embankments underlain by expansive clayey soils are susceptible to shallow land sliding during intense and prolonged rainfall events. These failures are predominant in the North Texas area and cause significant maintenance problems for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The recycled plastic pin (RPP) has potential to be utilized in slope stabilization as a remedial measure of shallow slope failure. A parametric study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different spacings of RPP on the factor of safety and deformation of the slope. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of spacing and length of RPP over the factor of safety using the finite element method (FEM). The analysis was conducted using 2D FEM software package PLAXIS 2D, and factor of safety of the slope was determined using the strength reduction technique. A highway slope constructed using high plastic clayey soil, located over US 287 near St. Paul overpass in Midlothian, Texas, was selected as the reference slope. The strength of the slope was back analyzed using PLAXIS 2D at factor of safety equals to unity. As a remediation technique, RPP was selected for slope stabilization, and the slope was analyzed with different lengths (2.44 m to 3.65 m, 8 ft to 12 ft) and spacings (0.61 m c/c to 2.44 m c/c, 3 ft c/c to 8 ft c/c) of RPP. The FEM results indicated that RPP provided resistance against the shallow failure and resulted increment in factor of safety by shifting the failure plane to a deeper depth toward deep-seated failure. In addition, the factor of safety increased with the increment in RPP length as higher resistance was observed from the foundation soil. The factor of safety of the reinforced slope remained almost constant up to RPP spacing of 1.5 m (5 ft) c/c and then decreased with further increments in spacing. The horizontal deformation of the slope was greater with the increments in spacing of RPP.
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