Slope stability analysis

FEB 402
 Slope failure
• Slope is a soil mass with its surface inclined to the
horizontal
• Major types: Natural and man-made slopes
• Slope failure
– Occurs when shear stress overcomes shear strength
– Involves downward and outward movement of a portion
of slope – sliding soil
• Natural soil failure – landslide
• Ratio of shear stress to shear strength is important
design parameter = factor of safety
Examples of slope failures
 Types of slopes
• Infinite slope – slope of a large extent in which
soil properties are assumed to be identical
with depth
Slip plane

• Finite slope – slope of limited extent, soil

properties are differentiated by depth
 Types of slope failure

(a) Infinite slope failure (b) Circular arc failure

 (d) Lateral squeeze failure
(c) Sliding block failure
 Effects of water on slope stability
• In cohesionless soils, water does not affect the angle of internal
friction (φ). The effect of water on cohesionless soils below the
water table is to decrease the intergranular (effective) stress
between soil grains (σ'n), which decreases the frictional
shearing resistance (τ')
• In cohesive soil, Water absorbed by clay minerals causes
increased water contents that decrease the cohesion of clayey
soils
 Factors influencing slope failure
• Soil type
• Hydrology (rainfall and underground water)
• Topography
• Soil erosion
• Additional forces and/or overburden
• Seismic forces
• Human activities (excavation, construction, etc)
 Slope stability analysis
• Two factors are important
– Shear strength ,  = c + tan
– Shear stress = weight/normal stress
• Infinite slope
 Dry cohessiveless soil

Shear stress = weight of the soil along the sliding plane

= T = W sin 
Shear strength = Normal to frictional reaction = N tan  N = W cos 
Factor of safety = FS = Shear strength/shear stress = tan/tan
Failure will occur if FS<1 or if  > 
 Cohesive soil

Vertical stress = weight/area = h cos 

Normal stress on slip plane = vertical stress *cos  = h cos2 
Shear strength = c + normal stress* tan = c + h cos2  tan
Shear stress on slip plane = vertical stress*sin  = h cos  sin 
FS = (c + h cos2  tan)/ h cos  sin 
If FS = 1, c/ h = (cos  sin  - cos2  tan) c/ h = stability number (Ns)
Stability analysis using Taylor’s chart (cohesive soil)
• Stability number Ns = cu/ h
Cu is mobilized cohesion
• Factor of safety with respect to cohesion, F c
Fc = Cu /C = hc/h = tan /tan u
• Ns = c/Fc h = C/ hc
• hc is the critical height of the slope
• Ns can also be given for different depth factors D f
• Df = D/h
hc D
Example
A slope is to be laid at an angle of 30o with the horizontal. Find the safe
height of slope for a factor of safety of 1.5 if the soil cohesion = 18 kPa,
friction angle = 20o and unit weight of soil is 18 kN/m3
Solution
h = 11 m
Lateral earth pressure
 Retaining walls
• Used to form permanent wall of an excavation
whenever space requirements make it
impractical to slope the side of the excavation
• Situations for retaining wall
– Road construction on footslopes
– Construction of house on sloppy areas
– Water storage structures (dams, weirs, etc)
– Support for bridges
Examples of retaining walls
 Forces on retaining wall
• Weight of the wall (W)
• Active thrust –due to backfill
pressure (Pa)
• Bearing force of foundation
soil (N)
• Sliding frictional resistance (F)
• Passive resistance of soil at
the toe (Pp)
• Surcharge load (L)
• Water pressure
Characteristics of horizontal forces
• Ratio of horizontal to vertical stress is known
as coefficient of active stress, Ka
– Ka = h/ v = (1-sin)/(1+sin) ;  is friction angle
= tan2 (45 - /2)
• Inverse of Ka is coefficient of passive stress
– Kp = 1/Ka = (1+sin)/(1-sin) = tan2 (45 + /2)
• v = z while h = Kaz
• Active thrust,
– H is the height of the wall
– Acts at 1/3 from the base of the wall
Example 1
A gravity retaining wall 7m high retains a backfill soil with internal
friction angle of 25o and unit weight of 17.3 kN/m3. Determine:
(a) Horizontal stresses at the base of the wall
(b) Total horizontal thrust
(c) Location of the thrust

7m


Solution
h = 40.37 kN/m2 Pa = 127.16 kN/m
 Retaining wall with wall friction

• General shear forces often develop between the face of

the wall and backfill if the face of the wall is smooth
• The friction between the wall and backfill accounts for
the shear resistance
• The friction has an angle known as friction angle of the
wall w
• The resultant active thrust is iteratively obtained

• The factor of safety is usually kept  1.5 during its

design
 Example 2
A gravity retaining wall 7m high retains a backfill soil with internal
friction angle of 25o and unit weight of 17.3 kN/m3. If the wall friction
is 25o, then determine the active thrust.

Solution
 cot  tan (-25) cos25 + 0.5 tan(-25) P/0.5H2
30 1.732 0.268 0.943 0.4920
35 1.428 0.364 0.981 0.5300
40 1.192 0.466 1.020 0.5451
45 1.000 0.577 1.060 0.5446
50 0.839 0.700 1.103 0.5325
55 0.700 0.839 1.150 0.5108
60 0.577 1.000 1.202 0.48002
65 0.466 1.192 1.261 0.44107

Pa =1/2*17.3*72*0.5451 = 231.03 kN/m

 Example 3
Assess the adequacy of a gravity retaining wall shown below and which
retains a backfill soil with internal friction angle of 25o and unit weight of
17.3 kN/m3. The concrete for the wall has unit weight of 23.6 kN/m3 and
the wall friction is 25o.

0.5 m

7m

20.5 m
 Solution
L

Pa
1/3 b  S H
T
1/3H Ratio of moments < 1.5
W2 W1 Inadequate design
A
b
B

Weights Moments about A

W1 = L*H*c Overturning moments = T*1/3H – S*B
W2 = ½*B*H*c Weight moments = W1*(1/L +b)+ W2*1/3b

Design adequacy: Overturning /weight moments ≥ 1.5