Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CHAPTER 4.0
SLOPE STABILITY
4.1 TYPES & CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
a) Translational slide:
c) Rotational slide:
1) Erosion (a & b)
2) Rainfall (c)
3) Earthquake (d)
4) Geological features (e)
5) External loading (f)
6) Construction activities (g)
7) Rapid drawdown (h)
4.2 STABILITY OF INFINITE SLOPES
OK
4.2 STABILITY OF INFINITE SLOPES
sat
Gs e w
1 e
' '
u sat
cu c'
Sn Sn
Fc ' H Fc sat H
Exercise
An embankment 15 m high is to be subjected periodically to full
submergence and drawdown conditions. Given that:
Slope angle = 40 Specific gravity = 2.75
void ratio= 0.9 friction angle, u = 20
cohesion of soil = 20 kPa
Compaction process squeezes out air, but as the built up height increases, the lower layers experience
an increase in pore pressure. In coarse grained soils, the excess pore pressures dissipate quickly.
In fine grained soils, the excess pore pressure is slow to dissipate and consolidation may continue for
several years.
The installation of horizontal or vertical drainage blankets is used to speed up this process.
In the course of time, the pore pressure decreases and the effective stresses increase, therefore the
shear strength increase.
Thus, the most critical stability condition for an embankment occurs at the end of construction, or
sometimes during construction.
4.4 CUT STABILITY, EMBANKMENT & NATURAL SLOPE
4.5.1 Drainage
Drainage is one of the most widely used methods for improving stability.
Clearly surface water must be removed and build-up of water pressures in tension cracks
prevented. Subsurface drainage must be designed to reduce the water pressures acting on
actual or potential slip surfaces; in this way, the value of the pore pressure, u, is reduced,
thereby producing an increase in the factor of safety.
4.5 SLOPE STABILIZATION METHOD
4.5.1 Drainage
Several methods exist for drainage system, including horizontal drains and vertical drains.
4.5 SLOPE STABILIZATION METHOD
4.5.1 Drainage
Drainage may also be achieved by the use of electro-osmosis and by planting suitable
vegetation.
4.5 SLOPE STABILIZATION METHOD
Restraining structures such as piles, retaining walls and anchors may be used to improve
stability. It must be appreciated that the forces and moments to which these structures are
subjected may be very large and hence careful design is essential.
4.5 SLOPE STABILIZATION METHOD
6.5.4 Replacement
Where the slip surface is not unduly deep, removal of all (or part) of the slipped material and
replacement provides a relatively simple and straightforward remedial measure. The removed
soil may be replaced by free-draining material (in which case some additional benefit may be
achieved by drainage) or by light structure such as geofoam.
4.5 SLOPE STABILIZATION METHOD
4.5.5 Geotextiles
Tensile strength: Horizontal membranes can be used to provide tensile reinforcement and reduce
settlement.
A drainage layer: Either as a water-conductor or as a filter to reduce the migration of fine particles into a
granular soil drains.
An impermeable barrier: To prevent or control the flow of contaminated groundwater from or in land-
fill sites.
4.5 SLOPE STABILIZATION METHOD
The End