Abstract
This paper uses the modified strength reduction finite element method to propose stability charts for pseudostatic stability analysis of three-dimensional (3D) homogeneous soil slopes subjected to seismic excitation. These charts are developed in a wide range of input parameters for purely cohesive slopes and cohesive-frictional slopes, respectively. Effect of the horizontal seismic load is approximately considered using the quasistatic approach. The stability charts allow to determine the factor of safety without any iterative procedure and identify the corresponding critical slope failure mechanism. A slope example is employed to illustrate the application and reliability of these stability charts.
Highlights
Stability charts provide an efficient tool for the rapid preestimate on slope stability
To account for the 3D effect on slope stability analyses, recent developments have focused on the extension of routine 2D methods to 3D cases. ese can be divided into three major categories: the limit equilibrium method (LEM), the limit analysis method (LAM), and the strength reduction method (SRM)
E objective of this paper is aimed at producing stability charts for pseudostatic stability analysis of 3D homogeneous soil slopes under the horizontal seismic condition. e proposed charts are developed based on the combination of the pseudostatic (PS) approach and strength reduction finite element method (SR-FEM) in 3D seismic slope stability analyses. e effects of seismic excitation are represented by an equivalent static force, the magnitude of which is a product of a seismic coefficient kh and the weight of the potential sliding mass [16]
Summary
Stability charts provide an efficient tool for the rapid preestimate on slope stability. Taylor [1], based on the friction circle method, firstly developed the stability charts to obtain the factor of safety (FOS) for 2D purely cohesive (internal friction angle φ 0; cohesion c ≠ 0) and cohesive-frictional soil slopes (internal friction angle φ > 0; cohesion c ≠ 0). According to the work of Taylor, a series of revised and improved stability charts have been routinely presented in the literature to avoid the iterative procedure since the stability number (N c/cHF) was introduced to define stability of the slope [2,3,4]. The above stability charts are only suitable for slope stability analysis under the hypothesis of two-dimensional (2D) plane strain. To account for the 3D effect on slope stability analyses, recent developments have focused on the extension of routine 2D methods to 3D cases. ese can be divided into three major categories: the limit equilibrium method (LEM), the limit analysis method (LAM), and the strength reduction method (SRM)
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