A LECTURE ON
STABILITY OF SLOPES
Stability Slope
Slopes of
earth are of
two types
1. Natural
slopes
2. Man made
slopes
THE SLOPE
1 Infinite slopes
2 Finite slopes
AIMS OF SLOPE STABILITY ANALYSIS
Inmost applications, the primary purpose of
slope stability analysis is to contribute to the
safe and economic design of excavations,
embankments, earth dams, landfills, etc.
Slope stability evaluations are concerned
with identifying critical geological, material,
environmental, and economic parameters
that will affect the project, as well as
understanding the nature, magnitude, and
frequency of potential slope problems.
AIMS OF SLOPE STABILITY ANALYSIS
(1) To understand the development and
form of natural slopes and the processes
responsible for different natural features.
(2) To assess the stability of slopes under
short-term (often during construction)
and long-term conditions.
(3) To assess the possibility of landslides
involving natural or existing engineered
slopes.
AIMS OF SLOPE STABILITY ANALYSIS
(4) To analyze landslides and to understand
failure mechanisms
(5) To enable the redesign of failed slopes
and the planning and design of preventive
and remedial measures, where necessary.
(6) To study the effect of seismic loadings on
slopes and embankments. The analysis of
slopes takes into account a variety of
factors relating to topography, geology,
and material properties, often relating to
whether the slope was naturally formed or
engineered.
SOME TYPES OF SLOPE FAILURE
SOME TYPES OF SLOPE FAILURE
SOME TYPES OF SLOPE FAILURE
SOME TYPES OF SLOPE FAILURE
SOME TYPES OF SLOPE FAILURE
SOME TYPES OF SLOPE FAILURE
Different types of load slide or Mass wasting Process
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
Slope failures are caused, in general, by natural forces, human
misjudgment and activities, and burrowing animals.
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
Erosion
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
Erosion
Rivers and streams continuously scour their banks,
undermining their natural or man-made slopes
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
Rainfall
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
Earthquakes
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
Geological Features
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
External Loading
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
Construction Activities
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
Construction Activities
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
Rapid Drawdown
SOME CAUSES OF SLOPE FAILURE
SLOPE STABILITY
(a lesson in physics)
When is a slope not stable?
Slope stability is based on the interplay
between two types of forces, driving forces
and resisting forces.
driving forces > resisting forces, the slope
is unstable and results in mass wasting.
DRIVING and RESISTING FORCES
You experience the interplay between driving
forces and resisting forces each time you drive
down a steep slope.
The driving forces are gravity and the
acceleration of the vehicle (if you step on the
accelerator), the resisting force is the brake on
the vehicle.
DRIVING and RESISTING FORCES
• The main driving force in most land
movements is gravity.
• The main resisting force is the material's
shear strength.
• Does gravity act alone? NO!! Slope angle,
climate, slope material, and water contribute to
the effect of gravity.
• Mass movement occurs much more frequently
on steep slopes than on shallow slopes.
DRIVING FORCE
Water plays a key role in producing slope
failure.
DRIVING FORCE
Chemical weathering (interaction of water
with surface rock and soil) slowly weakens
slope material (primarily rock), reducing its
shear strength, therefore reducing resisting
forces.
RESISTING FORCES
Resisting forces act oppositely of driving
forces. The resistance to downslope
movement is dependent on the shear
strength of the slope material.
And shear strength is a function of
cohesion (ability of particles to attract and
hold each other together) and internal
friction (friction between grains within a
material).
SLOPE STABILIZATION
(a) Removal and Protection,
(b) Drainage of water, and
(c) Reinforcement.
REMOVAL AND REPAIR
Catchment & Wire Netting
Grading & Serrating
Grading involves shaping of the rock Serrateing is cutting of regular,
slope into a more stable configuration. low-height benches into a slope
It may include flattening the slope,
leaving benches in the slope face, or
sculpting the slope face to a more
natural appearance
Benching
Resloping and unloading
Lightweight Fill
Counter berms
A counter berm is used to provide weight thereby increasing the shear
strength at the toe region of a slope
Shear Keys
DRAINAGE AND WATER CONTROL
Surface Drainage
DRAINAGE AND WATER CONTROL
Subsurface Drainage
DRAINAGE AND WATER CONTROL
Horizontal Drains
STABILIZATION THROUGH SUPPORT
Rock or Earth Anchors
STABILIZATION THROUGH SUPPORT
Rock Bolts
STABILIZATION THROUGH SUPPORT
Rock Dowels
GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCEMENT
Geogrids
GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCEMENT
RETAINING WALLS
Gabions
OTHER METHODS FOR STABILIZATION
Vegetation
FACTOR OF SAFETY
In stability analysis, two types of factors of
safety are normally used. They are
1. Factor of safety with respect to
shearing strength.
2. Factor of safety with respect to
cohesion. This is termed the factor of
safety with respect to height.
The factor of safety with respect to
shearing strength, FS, may be written as
Factor of Safety Against Cohesion, Fc
c'
Fc =
c 'm
Factor of Safety Against Friction, F
tan '
F =
tan m
STABILITY ANALYSIS OF INFINITE SLOPES IN SAND
Stability of Infinite Slopes
METHOD OF SLICES:
Assumptions:- circular arc, radius R, centre O
The soil mass above a trial failure surface is
divided into slices by vertical planes. Each
slice is taken as having a straight line base.
The Factor of Safety of each slice is assumed to
be the same, implying mutual support between
the slices, ie. there must be forces acting
between the slices.
STABILITY ANALYSIS USING
ORDINARY METHOD OF SLICES
STABILITY ANALYSIS USING
ORDINARY METHOD OF SLICES
Stability analysis, by ordinary method
of slices, for slope in layered soils
For the slope shown, find the factor of safety against sliding for the trial slip surface
AC. Use the ordinary method of slices.
Bishop’s Simplified Method of Slices
