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Section 8-1
Introduction to Stability Analysis
Section 8-2
Introduction to Stability Analysis
T
Traditionally,
diti ll stability
t bilit analysis
l i are carried
i d outt using
i limit
li it
equilibrium analysis.
A popular
l limit
li it equilibrium
ilib i software
ft tool
t l is
i Slope/W.
Sl /W
Section 8-3
Stability Analysis: Common Features
COMMON FEATURES OF SLOPE STABILITY
ANALYSIS METHODS
• Safety Factor: F = s/sm where s = shear strength and sm =
mobilized shear resistance.
F = 1: failure, F > 1: safety
• Sh
Shape and
d llocation
ti off failure
f il is
i nott known
k a priori
i i but
b t
assumed (trial and error to find minimum F)
• Two-dimensional analysis
Section 8-4
Stability Analysis: Common Features
• Conventional slope stability analyses investigate the
equilibrium of a mass of soil bounded below by an assumed
potential slip surface and above by the surface of the slope.
Section 8-6
Stability Analysis: Safety Factor Definition
c ' u tan
t ''
F
where
c’ and ’ = Mohr Coulomb cohesion and friction angle,
expressed in terms of effective stresses
= total normal stress on the failure plane
u=p
pore water pressure
p
- u = ’ = the effective normal stress on the failure plane.
Section 8-7
Stability Analysis: Method of Slices
• Wh
When applied
li d to
t a generall slip
li surface,
f the
th method
th d off
slices is typically used and the equation is modified to
F
c ' W cos u cos tan '
2
W ssin
Slice for total stress analysis Slice for effective stress analysis
N’ = W’ cos
N = W cos W’ = W – ub
N’ = (W – ub) cos
Section 8-8
Stability Analysis: Trial Slip Circles
E
Example
l off Trial
T i l Slip
Sli Circles
Ci l
E
Example
l off Trial
T i l Slip
Sli Circles
Ci l
E
Example
l off Trial
T i l Slip
Sli Circles
Ci l
E
Example
l off Trial
T i l Wedges
W d
Section 8-12
Stability Analysis: Trial Wedges
E
Example
l off Trial
T i l Wedges
W d
Section 8-13
Stability Analysis: Trial Wedges
E
Example
l off Trial
T i l Wedges
W d
Section 8-14
Stability Analysis : The Finite Element Approach
Section 8-15
Stability Analysis : The Finite Element Approach
In the earlier version of Plaxis
Plaxis, this approach of performing
stability analysis using finite element analysis was termed the ‘phi-
c reduction’ method.
In the 2012 version of Plaxis, this approach is called the ‘Safety’
calculation.
This method is based on the reduction of the strength parameters
of soil, namely the friction angle and the cohesion c.
Instead of the usual incrementation of loads, strength parameters
will be decremented.
The technique was first proposed by Zienkiewicz et al. (1975).
The procedure was made more robust in Plaxis by the addition of
the arc-length technique.
Since we are interested in collapse loads rather than precise
deformations, the elastic-plastic Mohr-Coulomb model is adopted.
IIn the
th ‘Safety’
‘S f t ’ analysis
l i phase,
h the
th strength
t th parameters
t t ’ and
tan d c’’
of the soil are successively reduced until failure of the structure
occurs. Section 8-16
Stability Analysis : The Finite Element Approach
Calculations flow
1. Start with the phase of interest (e.g. after excavation,
after embankment construction) with the system in
equilibrium.
ilib i At thi
this stage,
t M
Msff = 1
1.
2. Repeat the analysis with a slightly increased value of
Msf, say 1.05.
3. When Msf > 1, the strength parameters used in the
analysis will be reduced as follows:
tan 'input c 'input
tan 'reduced c 'reduced
Msf Msf
10. Recall that Msf represents the factor by which the soil
strength parameters is reduced to allow the soil system
to approach failure.
tan 'input c 'input
tan 'reduced c 'reduced
Msf M f
Msf
or
tan 'input c 'input
Msf Msf
tan 'reduced c 'reduced
Section 8-18
Stability Analysis : The Finite Element Approach
12 At this point
12. point, the soil system is deemed to have ‘collapsed
collapsed,
and the value of Msf gives the value of the Factor of Safety.
Section 8-19
Stability Analysis : Example 1
Homogeneous Slope without Foundation Layer
' 20 o
2:1 Slope c’ = 10 kPa
H = 10 m
20
3. Try FS = 1.3
tan tan 20 0.364
0.28 FS 1.3 15.6
FS 1.3 1 .3
Refer to chart, for FS=1.3 = 15.6 and = 26.6, the stability
b N = c//H = 0
number 0.036
036
mobilized c = cm = N H = 0.036 x 20 x 10 = 7.2 kN/m2
Section 8-23
Stability Analysis : Example 1
Calculation of Slope Stability (Manual)
Section 8-24
Stability Analysis : Example 1
c ' f c ' / FS
tan ' f tan ' / FS
25
Section 8-25
Stability Analysis : Example 1
Section 8-26
Stability Analysis : Example 1
Visualization of Failure Mechanism
Section 8-27
Stability Analysis : Example 2
Homogeneous Slope with Foundation Layer (D = 1.5)
1 5)
2:1 Slope
p
H = 10 m
DH = 15 m
NO GWT
' 20 o
c' 10 kN/m 2
Section 8-28
Stability Analysis : Example 2
Homogeneous Slope with Foundation Layer (D = 1.5)
1 5)
FS = 1.343
Section 8-29
Stability Analysis : Example 3
Undrained Slope with a Thin Weak Layer
H cu2
u 0 o
Section 8-30
Stability Analysis : Example 3
Section 8-31
Stability Analysis : Example 3
cu2/cu1 = 0.6
FS=1.35
cu2/cu1 = 0.2
FS 0.47
FS=0.47
Section 8-32
Stability Analysis : Example 3
Case 3a cu2=50
cu2 50 kPa FS=1.45
cu2/cu1 = 0.6
FS=1.35
cu2/cu1 = 0.2
FS=0.47
Section 8-33
Stability Analysis : Example 3
cu2/cu1 = 0.6
FS=1.35
cu2/cu1 = 0.2
FS=0.47
Section 8-34
Stability Analysis : Example 3
Undrained Slope with a Thin Weak Layer
(FS after Griffiths and Lane (1999))
cu2/cu1 = 1.0
FS=1 45
FS=1.45
Section 8-35
Stability Analysis : Example 4
Undrained Slope with a Weak Foundation Layer (D=2.0)
(D=2 0)
2:1 Slope
cu1=50 kPa
Section 8-36
Stability Analysis : Example 4
Shear Strains
cu2/cu1 = 0.6
FS=0.97
cu2/cu1 = 1.5
FS=2.02
cu2/cu1 = 2.0
FS 2 08
FS=2.08
Section 8-37
Stability Analysis : Example 4
Undrained Slope with a Weak Foundation Layer
(FS after Griffiths and Lane (1999))
cu2/cu1 = 2.0
FS=2.08
cu2/cu1
/ = 1.5
FS=2.02
cu2/cu1 = 0.6
FS=0.97
Section 8-38
Stability Analysis : FEM vs LEM
Advantages of FEM vs LEM for Slope Stability
Section 8-40
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
1.403
26
24
22
Water Level
20
18
Elevation (m)
16
14 Description: Clay Water
12 Soil Model: Mohr-Coulomb
10 g 16
Unit Weight:
8 Cohesion: 2 1:2 Cut
6 Phi: 24
4
2
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
Distance (m)
Section 8-41
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
2.085
26
24
22
Water Level
20
18
Elevation (m)
16
14
Water
12
Description: Clay
10
Soil Model: S=f(datum) 1:2 Cut
8
E
Unit Weight: 16
6 C - Datum: 1.83
4 Rate of Increase: 1.94
2 Datum (elevation): 20
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
Distance (m)
Section 8-42
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
PLAXIS Analysis Cases
Drained Analysis with c’=2 kPa and ’=24o
Undrained Analysis
Method A ((analysis
y in terms of effective stresses):
)
type of material behaviour: undrained
effective strength parameters c´, ´, ´
ff ti stiffness
effective iff E50´ ´´
parameters E50´,
Method B (analysis in terms of effective stresses):
type of material behaviour: undrained
undrained strength parameters c = cu, = 0, = 0
parameters E50´,, ´
effective stiffness p
Method C (analysis in terms of total stresses):
type of material behaviour: drained
t t l strength
total t th parameters
t c = cu, = 0,
0 =0
undrained stiffness parameters Eu, u = 0.495
Section 8-43
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
D i d CUT,
Drained CUT Pl
Plaxis
i c/phi
/ hi FS=1.35
FS 1 35 cff LE=1.40
LE 1 40
Drained
D i dA Analysis
l i with
ith
Effective strength parameters c´=2 kPa, ´=24, ´=0
Effective stiffness parameters E50´=15000 kPa, ´=0.2
Section 8-44
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
Method A - UnDrained CUT plus Full Consolidation
Plaxis c/phi FS=1.37 cf LEM=1.40
Method A (undrained)
Effective strength
g p parameters c´=2 kPa,, ´=24o, ´=0o
Effective stiffness parameters E50´=15000 kPa, ´=0.2
Section 8-45
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
Method A - UnDrained CUT,
CUT
Plaxis c/phi (Ignore UnDrained) FS=2.75 cf LE=2.09
Section 8-46
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
Method A - UnDrained CUT,
CUT
Plaxis c/phi (UnDrained) FS=2.27 cf LE=2.09
Section 8-47
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
Method B - UnDrained CUT,
CUT
Plaxis c/phi (Ignore UnDrained) FS=2.13 cf LE=2.09
Section 8-48
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
Method B - UnDrained CUT,
CUT
Plaxis c/phi (UnDrained) FS=2.14 cf LE=2.09
Section 8-49
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
METHOD A (UNDR)
1.5
1
0 3e3 6e3 9e3 1.2e4
|U| [m]
Section 8-50
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
Section 8-51
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
Exc PP Exc PP
unchanged, changed, but
but FS not FS nearly OK
OK
Section 8-52
Stability Analysis : Underwater Cut Slope
Exc PP Exc PP
unchanged, changed, but
but FS is OK FS is OK
Section 8-53
Stability Analysis : Concluding Remarks
Conclusions
• FEM analysis for Slope Stability is better
than LEM as the failure mechanism is
determined automatically as part of the
stress equilibrium process.
Section 8-54
Stability Analysis : Concluding Remarks
Section 8-55