Abstract
In this paper, the effect of soil material parameters including soil specific weight (γ), cohesion (C), angle of internal friction (emptyset), and geometric parameter of slope including angle with the horizontal (β) for a constant slope height (H) on factor of safety (Fs) was investigated. Fs was considered in two scenarios: (1) slope with dry condition, and (2) with steady-state saturated condition that comprises water level drawdown circumstances. In addition, the type of slip circle was also investigated. For this purpose, the SLOPE/W software as a subgroup of Geo-Studio software was implemented. Results showed that decreasing of water table level and omitting the hydrostatic pressure on the slope consequently would result in safety factor decrement. Comparison of the plane and circular failure surfaces showed that plane failure method produced good results for near-vertical slopes only. Determination of slip type showed that for state (30° < β < 45°), the three types of failure circles (toe, slope or midpoint circle) may occur. For state (45° < β < 60°), two modes of failure may occur: midpoint circle and toe circle. For state (β > 60°), the mode of failure circle is only toe circle. Linear and nonlinear regression equations were obtained for estimation of slope safety factor.
Highlights
Slopes failure is a natural phenomenon that occurs in many countries around the world
Singh (1970) provided a graphical method for determining the factor of safety of stability of slopes, and the results showed that, for angles of 3 degrees ( > 3◦), the critical slip circles are mostly toe circle
The result showed that the failure surface is mostly in the type toe circle, but in some cases they can be in the type of midpoint circle, and a graphics is used to determine the factor of safety without any trial-anderror method
Summary
Slopes failure is a natural phenomenon that occurs in many countries around the world. In the original Fellenius method, the factor of safety is based on the balance of the moments and the force caused by the side pressure of the soil (horizontal and vertical components in each part) which is considered as zero. The method developed by Morgenstern and Price (1965) can examine the slope stability at all surfaces of failure (in any form) and calculate the factor of safety. In this method, tangential and normal forces, and the moment balance for each slice is provided (Morgenstern 1963). The proposed charts identify the types of rotational failure mechanisms associated with the stability coefficients (Gaopeng et al 2014)
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