Geotechnical Engineering-II

Theory and Practical

Stability of Slopes

6th
Sem
Civil Engineering Department
 Stability of Slopes
Types of Slopes

Stability analysis of infinite and finite slopes

Swedish slip circle method

Friction circle method

Taylor’s stability chart

 Introduction

SLOPE SLOPE FAILURE

 Introduction
• Slope: In geotechnical terms, an earth or soil slope is
an inclined ground surface which can be either
natural or human-made
• Slide: The failure of a mass of soil located beneath a
slope is called a slide.
• Slope failures: It occur when driving forces overcome
resisting forces. It is mainly due to
(i) The action of gravitational forces.
(ii) Seepage forces within the soil.
(iii) It may also fail due to excavation and undercutting of its
foot.
(iv) It may also fail due to gradual disintegration of structure
of the soil.
 Types of Slope
On the basis of method of construction:
• Natural Slope: The slopes formed due to natural
process and exist naturally are called natural slopes.
Natural slopes are those that exist in nature and are
formed by natural causes. Such slopes exist in hilly areas.
• Artificial Slopes: The slopes formed by unnatural
process. Artificial slopes are formed by humans as
per requirements.
The sides of cuttings, the slopes of embankments
constructed for roads, railway lines, canals etc and
the slopes of earth dams constructed for storing
water are examples of man made slopes.
 Types of Slope
• On the basis of type of soil:
• Cohesive soil slope: Having purely cohesive soil
as its content
• Frictional soil slope: Slopes having frictional soil
as its contents
• Cohesive frictional soil slope: Slopes made up of
soil which has both frictional as well as cohesive
properties.
 Types of Soil
Types of slopes According to extent:
Infinite Slopes
• The type of slope extending infinitely, or up to an extent whose
boundaries are not well defined. For this type of slope the soil
properties for all identical depths below the surface are same.
• The term infinite slope is used to designate a constant slope of
infinite extent.
• The long slope of the face of a mountain is an example of this
type,
Finite Slopes
• The slope that is of limited extent. We the engineers deal with
this type of slopes. Finite slopes are limited in extent.
• The slopes of embankments, cut and earth dam are examples
of finite slopes.
Types of slope failure
 Types of slope failure
• Types of slope failure in geotechnical
engineering
1. Rotational failure
a. Face failure or Slope failure
b. Toe failure
c. Base failure
2. Translational failure
3. Compound failure
4. Wedge failure
 Rotational failure
When rotational failure occurs, the failed
surface will begin to move outwards and
downwards.
 This occurs when rotation by a slip surface
causes the slope surface to curve.
 The failure can happen in multiple ways,
including face, base and toe failure.
 Toe failure is the most common situation and
it occurs when the failing surface passes
through the slope's toe.
 Translational failure
When a slope contains no definite boundaries
and the soil beneath the free surface is
believed to have the same properties and
identical depths as the slope, it is named an
infinite slope.
 In an infinite slope, its topsoil will form a
parallel slip surface, also referred to as a
translational failure.
 Translational failure can be identified by
layers of slope materials.
 Compound failure
Compound failure is the word used to describe
a combination of rotational and translational
slide failure.
 As the combination suggests, failure occurs
when the slip surface curves at both ends but
has a level or flat central point.
 When a hard soil level forms from a
considerable depth from the toe, the slip
surface can become flat.
 Wedge failure
Sometimes referred to as plane or block
failure, wedge failure occurs on a plane that is
inclined.
 For example, this failure can happen when the
soil contains weak layers or joints that are
created as the slope is constructed from two
different, non-compatible materials.
 The main difference between a wedge and
translational failure is that wedge failure can
happen in both infinite and finite slopes.
 Stability analysis
 Slope stability analysis is a static or dynamic, analytical or
empirical method to evaluate the stability of earth and rock-
fill dams, embankments, excavated slopes, and natural
slopes in soil and rock.
 Slope stability analysis is performed to assess the safe
design of a human-made or natural slopes (e.g.
embankments, road cuts, open-pit mining, excavations,
landfills etc.) and the equilibrium conditions.
 Slope stability refers to the condition of inclined soil or rock
slopes to withstand or undergo movement.
 The stability of a slope is essentially controlled by the ratio
between the available shear strength and the acting
shear stress,
 which can be expressed in terms of a safety factor.
 Stability analysis
 A slope can be stable if the safety factor, computed along any
potential sliding surface running from the top of the slope to its
toe, is always larger than 1.
 A previously stable slope can be affected by a number of
predisposing factors or processes that make the safety factor
decrease - either by increasing the shear stress or by decreasing
the shear strength - and can ultimately result in slope failure.
 Factors that can trigger slope failure include hydrologic events
(such as intense or prolonged rainfall, rapid snowmelt,
progressive soil saturation, increase of water pressure within
the slope), earthquakes (including aftershocks), internal erosion
(piping), surface or toe erosion, artificial slope loading (for
instance due to the construction of a building), slope cutting (for
instance to make space for roadways, railways or buildings), or
slope flooding (for instance by filling an artificial lake after
damming a river).
Stability Analysis of Infinite slopes and Translational
slides
Cohesive Soil
 Stability Analysis of Finite slopes
The basic types of failure of a finite slope may occur:
1. Slope failure
a) Face failure
b) Toe failure
2. Base failure
 Slope Failure: If the failure occurs along a surface of sliding
that intersects the slope at or above its toe, the slide is
known as slope failure.
 Face Failure: Slope failure is called as a face failure, if the
arc passes above the toe. This occurs when the slope
angle is large and the soil at the toe portion is strong.
 Toe Failure: Slope failure is called as a toe failure, if the arc
passes above the toe. This occurs when the slope is steep
and homogeneous. Df=1
 Base Failure: If the soil beneath the toe of the slope is
weak the failure occurs along a surface that passes at
some distance below the toe of the slope. Df>1
 Depth factor: The ratio of the total depth (H+D) to depth H
is called the depth factor Df.
 Type of Slip surfaces or failure surfaces
• Planar failure surface: it surface may commonly
occur in a soil deposit or embankment with a
specific plane of weakness. Excavation in
stratified deposit, the failure surface along a
plane parallel to the strata.
• Curved failure Surface:
Circular failure surface
Non-circular surface
 Methods of analysis:
The stability of a finite slope can be investigated
by a number of methods. We shall discuss with
the following common methods:
1. Culmann’s method of planer failure surface
2. The Swedish circle method (slip circle method)
3. The friction circle method
Culmann’s method of planer failure surface
Analysis of purely cohesive soil (Fu=0 analysis)
Analysis of purely cohesive soil (Fu=0 analysis)
Analysis of a soil possessing both cohesion and friction
(C-F analysis)
Friction Circle Method
Friction Circle Method
Taylor’s Stability Number and Stability Curve
 1

2
 Modern Stability analysis tools

• Before the computer age stability analysis was

performed graphically or by using a hand-held
calculator.
• Today engineers have a lot of possibilities to use
analysis software, ranges from simple limit
equilibrium techniques through to computational
limit analysis approaches (e.g. Finite element;
limit analysis, Discontinuity layout optimization) to
complex and sophisticated numerical solutions (
finite-/distinct-element codes)