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SLOPE STABILITY

Part 1: Factors Affecting Slope Stability

Ir. Tan Yean Chin & Engr. Darryl Fong


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Bukit Antarabangsa, 1999

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Cameron Highlands, 1961

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Cameron
Highlands
2001

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Ulu Yam Perdana, 2008

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Genting

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Cheras, 2000

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Rawang, 1999
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Highland
Tower 1993

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Taman
Hillview
2002

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Questions ?!

How Landslides occur?


What Are The Misconceptions
Are natural slopes safe?
Important factors affecting slope stability

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Anatomy Of A Slope

Partially
Saturated Soil

Water Saturated Soil


Table

WEATHERED ROCK

ROCK

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FRICTION CONCEPT

1 ton

T
F

Box Will Not Slide when F > T


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T LESS THAN F
i.e. Slope will Not Fail

T
F

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SLIDING

1 ton1 ton 1 ton

T T
T
FF F

N N N

Sliding Occurs when T>F

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T GREATER THAN F
i.e. Slope will Fail

T
F

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WATER PRESSURE

1 ton

T
F F

N
N

Water Pressure Reduces N Reduces F

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Water REDUCES F
i.e. Slope May Slide

T
F

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Temporary Cut Slope

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Permanent Graded Slope

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Engineering Analyses of Slopes

POTENTIAL SLIP
SURFACES

ROCK

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MISCONCEPTIONS #1

Soil tests SHOWED that the slope is


safe.

SOIL TESTS ALONE DOES NOT TELL


us whether the slope is safe.

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Soil Tests Only Show Types of Soil

Sand, Silt, Clay,


Gravel etc

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MISCONCEPTIONS #2

Heavy Rain CAUSES Slope Failure.

ENGINEERED SLOPES WOULD


NOT FAIL if properly designed.
EXCEPTION : Actual rainfall greater
then designed period.
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MISCONCEPTIONS #3

Erosion WILL NOT cause slope


failure.

EROSION CAN CAUSE slope failure.

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Erosion can Propagate Slope


Failure Type 1

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Erosion can Propagate Slope
Failure Type 2

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MISCONCEPTIONS #4

Retaining Walls ALWAYS PREVENT


slope failures.

UN-ENGINEERED WALLS CAN


CAUSE slope failure.

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Collapsed Rubble Wall

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Collapsed Rubble Wall

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Collapsed RC Wall

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MISCONCEPTIONS #5

Slopes are Maintenance Free.

POORLY MAINTAINED SLOPES


WILL LEAD TO slope failure.

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Slope Erosion

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Slope Erosion

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Slope Maintenance

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MISCONCEPTIONS #6

Slope has been Standing for


more than 10 Years!
So Natural Slopes are safe!

Natural Slopes are NOT NECESSARILY


Safe.

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Sandakan

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Sarawak

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MISCONCEPTIONS #7

EIA Reports Ensure Safety

EIA is a planning tool. It DOES NOT go


into the engineering of slope in detail.

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MISCONCEPTIONS #8

Geological Reports Shows that the


slope is safe.

Geological Report does not cover


engineering of slopes. It is more on the
history of soil.
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IMPORTANT
Slope Stability Factors
Soil Properties

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Soil Properties

Steep Rockface Gentle Beach

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IMPORTANT
Slope Stability Factors
Soil Properties
Slope Geometry

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Slope Geometry

Steep Slope Gentle Slope

Steep Slopes Has Higher Risk of


Failing
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IMPORTANT
Slope Stability Factors
Soil Properties
Slope Geometry
Groundwater table profile

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Groundwater Effect

Low Groundwater High Groundwater


Table Table

High Groundwater Increases Risk of Failure


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IMPORTANT
Slope Stability Factors
Soil Properties
Slope Geometry
Groundwater table profile
Slope Maintenance
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No Slope Maintenance
(Damaged Drains)

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No Slope Maintenance
(Erosion)

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CONCLUSION

Soil Tests DOES NOT show that a


slope is safe.

Geological Report DOES NOT tell


us whether a slope is safe.

EIA Report is ONLY a planning tool


not an engineering report.
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CONCLUSION (Contd)

Erosion will LEAD TO slope failure.

Un-Engineered Retaining Walls will


fail.

Poorly Maintained Slopes will


Eventually Fail.

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CONCLUSION (Contd)

Natural Slopes are not necessarily


safe.

ONLY an ENGINEERS REPORT will


show whether a slope is safe.

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End of Part 1
Questions?

Part 2

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SLOPE STABILITY

Part 2: Typical Methods of


Slope Repair & Strengthening

Ir. Tan Yean Chin & Engr. Darryl Fong


G&P Geotechnics Sdn Bhd (www.gnpgroup.com.my)

CONTENTS
Stabilization Methods:
Modify Slope Geometry
Control of Drainage and Seepage
Structural Solutions
Retaining Wall
Soil Nailing
Reinforced Soil Wall

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How to
Repair?

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METHODS FOR SLOPE REPAIR &


STRENGTHENING
1. Modify Slope Geometry
Regrading of slope profile
Rock berms (toe counterweight)

2. Control of Drainage and Seepage


3. Structural Solution
Retaining Wall
Soil Nailing
Geotextile Reinforced
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1: REGRADING OF SLOPE PROFILE

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Regrading of Slope Profile

36

34

32
Existing Slope Profile
30 Subsoil Layer 1

28

26 4
Regraded Slope Profile
24
Reduced Level (m)

22 Subsoil Layer 2 1

20

18

16 2

14

12

10
Hard Layer 3
8

0
-10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

Distance (m)

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Regrading of Slope Profile
Regrade the slope to gentler slope
profile
More stable and increase FOS
Easiest to construct and usually the most
cost-effective method

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Regrading of Slope Profile


Important considerations:
Failed materials within the failed slope shall
be removed
Trimming works shall extend beyond the
failure plane

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Regrading of Slope Profile
Important considerations:
Slope shall be benched prior to placement
of fills
To encourage interaction between the
original material & newly
backfilled material
Existing Slope Profile
Benching Prior to Filling Water Saturated Soil
Table

WEATHERED ROCK

ROCK
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Regrading of Slope Profile


Important considerations:
Examine structural features of soils during
construction

Daylighting
Plane

Unique
Structural
Features

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Examine structural features of soils during construction

Bedding

60

Bedding of Cut Slope Day-


lighting Towards Main Road
Joints with Infilling Materials
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AFTER FAILURE
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TRIMMING IN PROGRESS
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ROCK BERMS
(TOE COUNTERWEIGHT)

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Rock Berms
(Toe Counterweight)
Providing counterweight in the toe area
of the slope
Important considerations:
Berm shall contribute to stabilizing
force (NOT destabilizing)

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Rock Berms
(Toe Counterweight)

Important
considerations:
Berm shall extend
beyond the toe
area of the failure

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ROCK BERMS
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RUBBLE PITCHING BERMS


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2: Control of Drainage and
Seepage

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Why Drainage is Important?

Water exerts pressure on slope / retaining structures


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Control of Drainage
& Seepage
To collect surface
run-off away from
slope as quickly as
possible
Rise in
groundwater tale
reduces FOS
Generous gradient
for self cleansing
flow
BERM DRAINS
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Cracked UNREINFORCED Berm Drains

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Problems with Precast Cascading Drains

Gaps between drains


- weak zones for water
seepage and erosion

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Improper Drainage System

Collapsed Cascading Drain


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Solution?

Use Cast-In-Situ R.C. Drains


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Cast In-Situ RC Drains

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Control of Drainage &
Seepage

CASCADING To collect discharge from berm drain


DRAIN Dissipate energy of water discharge
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Control of Drainage & Seepage

As Energy Dissipator

CATCH PIT
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Control of Drainage & Seepage

SUBSOIL DRAIN & CHUTE

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design level
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Control of Drainage & Seepage


Best practice using
Perforated pipe with
geotextile

WEEPHOLE (SEEPAGE CONTROL)


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Control of Drainage & Seepage

Horizontal Drain
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3: STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS
RETAINING WALLS
SOIL NAILING
REINFORCED SOIL WALLS

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3(A) RETAINING WALLS

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Types of Retaining Walls


Reinforced Concrete Wall
Gabion Wall
Crib Wall
Sheet Pile Wall
Contiguous Bored Pile Wall
Secant Pile Wall
Diaphragm Wall

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RETAINING WALLS

REINFORCED CONCRETE WALL


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RETAINING WALLS

REINFORCED CONCRETE WALL


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RETAINING WALLS
Limited to 6m in height
Vital to emphasise on proper detailing of
reinforcement

Earth
Pressure
Adjacent
Residential
Main
Reinforcement

REINFORCED CONCRETE WALL


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Collapsed RC
Wall
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Why Collapse?

Y12@200 Y16@200
Y16@200 Y12@200

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Emphasise on proper design of wall


dimension

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Gabion Wall

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Gabion Wall

Only as short term


solution as wire mesh is
very prone to corrosion
(even galvanised)
Commonly used for wall
height up to about 3m only
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Crib Wall

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Crib Wall

Rapid & Easy


Installation
Require minimum
Excavation
Up to medium
height (<6m)

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Sheet Pile Wall

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Sheet Pile Wall


May be with/without ground anchors

Ground Anchor
1/3
Exposed

2/3
Embedded

SHEET PILE WALL


(Max Typ Length = 18m)

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Sheet Pile Wall
Easy to install in soft ground
Steel element of sheet pile wall requires
extensive corrosion protection (e.g. sand
blasting, steel galvanising, etc.)
Ground anchors generally NOT
RECOMMENDED for long term due to
corrosion & maintenance issues
Re-stressing of anchors at 6 monthly
intervals usually required

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Sheet Pile Wall

Short term solution (<2 yrs) only


unless long term corrosion is
addressed (eg. sacrificial
protection)
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Contiguous Bored Pile Wall

Ground Anchors

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Contiguous Bored Pile Wall


May be cantilever low wall or wall height up
to 20m with ground anchors
Can be effective for cutting off slip
surfaces
High cost solution
Requires stable platform for boring rig

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Contiguous Bored Pile Wall

CBP

Not water tight (allows water seepage & erosion)


Used in dry part of retained slopes

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Secant Pile Wall

Hard Bored Pile

Soft Bored Pile

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Construction Sequence

1.Construct
2.Construct Primary Piles
Secondary Piles First (Soft)
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(Hard)

Secant Pile Wall


Similar to Contiguous Bored Pile (CBP)
Wall
Overlapping bored piles
BUT water tight
Relatively difficult to construct,
compare to CBP wall
It requires timely construction of hard
& soft bored piles (drill through soft
piles after initial set)

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Diaphragm Pile Wall

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Diaphragm Pile Wall


Up to 30m depths
Minimal Vibration & noise
Suitable for subsoil with high Ground
Water Level
Requires stabilising fluid (eg. Bentonite)

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Construction of Diaphragm Wall

Grab dredger

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3(B): SOIL NAILING

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SOIL NAILING

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Soil Nailing
Commonly used in slope strengthening and
repairs (Cut slopes) up to 25m typ.
>25m possible but with engineering
expertise
Very cost effective
Can be used on steep slopes (4V:1H)
Ease of Construction: small and lightweight
machinery can scale any slopes

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Soil Nail Construction

Step 5: Repeat

Step 6: Spray Shotcrete

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Completed Soil Nail Slope

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3(C): REINFORCED SOIL WALLS

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REINFORCED SOIL WALL


Type 1:
Up to 15m
Single tier typ.
Metallic
Reinforcements

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REINFORCED SOIL WALL

Type 2: Geotextile
Reinforced
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Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Slope

Geotextile sprayed with bitumen for


temporary protection. Temporary Structure. Tanjung Malim
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Example: Before Slopes Too Steep

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Example: After Gentler Slopes

Reinforced
Soil Wall

(Slope made gentler & existing


road width being maintained)
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Illustration of RS Wall Usage

Before
FOS < 1.0
Potential Slip
Surface

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Illustration of RS Wall Usage


After
FOS > 1.4

Gentler Slope
Potential Slip
Surface
RS Wall

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SUMMARY
Typical Methods of Slope Repair and
Strengthening
Modify Slope Geometry
Control of Drainage and Seepage
Structural Solution
Retaining Wall
Soil Nailing
Reinforced Soil Wall
Drainage and Seepage control shall be
applied at all times
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SUMMARY
Regrading of slope profile is the most cost-
effective option, followed by Rock berms
approach
Soil Nailing approach is often one of the
most cost effective approaches for high wall
on cut ground
Reinforced Soil Wall/Geotextile Reinforced Wall
is one of the most cost effective approaches
for high wall on fill ground
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Thank You
Questions?

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