SLOPE STABILISATION AND
RETAINING WALLS
DR MOHAMAD NIDZAM RAHMAT
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
DR ANI MASLINA SALLEH
SLOPE FAILURE
• Slope failures are major natural hazards occurring both globally and locally.
• They are referred to as the downslope movement of rock debris and soil in
response to gravitational stresses.
• Slope failures are generally classified according to the type of downslope
movement namely falls, slides, and slows.
• Unfortunately, slope failure is a geohazard that impacts a wide range of landscapes
and also many types of infrastructures.
WHAT CAUSE SLOPE FAILURE
DRA INAGE A ND S TREA M
S LOPE S TEEPNES S
AC TION
• Excessive water in slopes is never good as it
• Steeper slopes have greater risks for destabilizes the slope by adding weight,
instability. destroying cohesion between grains, and
• The natural tendency of steep slopes is to reducing friction.
move some of its materials downwards • When water takes the place of air between
until the natural angle of repose is found. the grains of soil, it will most likely increase
the probability of downslope mass
• Any form of slope modification will
movement and lead to slope failures as the
eventually impact the stability of a slope.
earth in slopes become a lot heavier.
• Streams can also erode away the bottom of
the slope overtime resulting in decrease in
slope stability.
VEGETATION HUMAN MODIFIC ATION
• The amount and type of vegetation on a • Humans modify stability of slopes in many
slope is proportional to the strength of ways which may trigger the sudden mass
that slope. movement of the soil in slopes.
• Generally, the roots of vegetation hold the • Such includes the excavation and removal of
soil in place and makes it more resistant the slope’s base to build roads, the passage
to erosion. of heavy trucks, blasting, loading of the slope
or crest, surface or groundwater
• Therefore, the more vegetation present, manipulation, irrigation and mining.
the more stable the slope is likely to be.
TYPE OF SLOPE FAILURE
LANDSLIDE SLIDE
• A landslide is a geological phenomenon
which includes a wide range of ground • Movement parallel to planes of weakness
movement, such as rock falls, deep failure and occasionally parallel to slope
of slopes, and shallow debris flows.
• It is rapid slipping of a mass of earth or
rock from a higher elevation to a lower
level under the influence of gravity and
water lubrication.
CREEP FLOW
• Gradual movement of slope materials
• Viscous to fluid like motion of debris
• Creep is the imperceptibly slow, steady,
downward movement of slope-forming soil or • Mudflows (or debris flows) are rivers of
rock. rock, earth, and other debris saturated
with water.
• Movement is caused by shear stress sufficient to
• They develop when water rapidly
produce permanent deformation, but too small accumulates in the ground, such as during
to produce shear failure. heavy rainfall.
• Creep is indicated by curved tree trunks, bent
fences or retaining walls, tilted poles or fences,
and small soil ripples or ridges
C OMMON S TA BLE S LOPE
TOPPLE RATIOS FOR S OIL/ROC K
C ONDITIONS
• Topple failures involve the forward rotation and
movement of a mass of rock, earth or debris
out of a slope.
• This kind of slope failure generally occurs at or
near the base of the block of rock.
• A topple often results in the formation of
debris at the base of the slope..
SLOPE FAILURE MITIGATION MEASURES
Slope Failure Mitigation or Repair, is not a one-size-fits-all task. The materials to
be used as well as the reinforcement design are influenced by a myriad of factors.
Some of the common methods used for slope failure mitigation and repair
includes:
PROPER DRAINAGE TERRACING & BENCHING
• The nearer a slope is to its natural angle
Plans to repair a slope must be accompanied
of repose, the more stable it is.
by drainage rehabilitation plans.
• It is for this reason that terracing or
The planned drainage system must be able to
benching is a popular way of dealing with
efficiently channel water away from the slope
steep slopes.
without affecting slope stability or causing
erosion. • This involves making the slope more
manageable by dividing it into several
Weep holes in retaining walls and French
smaller and less steep slopes reinforced by
drains are just two of the more popular
retaining walls and friction piles, to name a
drainage options.
few.
SOLDIER PILES AND
RETAINING WALL
LAGGING WORKS
This slope stabilization technique often used in
• Retaining walls are used to stabilize the
projects involving soft soils.
slopes surrounding a property.
Sheet piles can be made of wood planks, vinyl or
• Concrete retaining walls are walls that are steel. Piles driven 2/3 of their length into the slope
designed to “retain” or hold in place a towards load bearing strata (layer that can bear
substantial amount of soil. stress) to restrain the collapse of the surface soil
layer and installed in such a way that the sheets
• They are built on the lower part of a slope overlap.
to directly suppress a collapse of that part
and also to check coming-down collapsed Sometimes, lagging or panels are installed between
piles to form a retaining wall that will prevent the
soil and stop it before houses.
downward movement of soils.
ROCK BOLTS GRATING CRIB
Concrete frames are laid on a slope, within
• Much like piles, rock bolts are used to
which plants grow to protect the slope from
stabilize slopes that are composed mainly
weathering and erosion.
of fractured rocks.
It is also possible to directly suppress slope
• The bolts connect the fractured and
collapse by using the frames in combination
weak surface to the stronger rock layers
with ground anchors, or to allow trees
underneath, giving the slope stability.
remaining on the slope to be retained by
adjusting the arrangement of the frames.
BIOTECHNIC AL SLOPE
STABILISATION
In layman’s terms, biotechnical slope
stabilization is simply letting plants and
vegetation stabilize a slope.
Vegetation is good for slope stability and
planting different layers of vegetation on the
slope is an effective way of stabilizing this
slope.
RETAINING WALL
WHAT IS RETAINING WALL
• Retaining wall is a structure that are designed and constructed to withstand
lateral pressure of soil or hold back soil materials. The lateral pressure could
be also due to earth filling, liquid pressure, sand, and other granular materials
behind the retaining wall structure. There are various types of retaining wall
structures which are used for numerous goals.
TYPES OF RETAINING WALL
1. Gravity Retaining Wall
2. Crib Retaining Wall
3. Gabion Retaining Walls
4. Cantilever Retaining Wall
5. Counter-fort / Buttressed Retaining Wall
6. Anchored Retaining Wall
7. Piled Retaining Wall
8. Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Retaining wall
9. Hybrid Systems
GRAVITY RETAINING WALL
• Gravity retaining wall depends on its self weight only to resist lateral earth pressure.
• Commonly, gravity retaining wall is massive because it requires significant gravity load to counter act
soil pressure.
• Sliding, overturning, and bearing forces shall be taken into consideration while this type of retaining wall
structure is designed.
• It can be constructed from different materials such as concrete, stone, and masonry units.
• It is economical for a height up to 3m.
• Crib retaining wall, gabions, and bin retaining wall are also type of gravity retaining walls
CRIB RETAINING WALL
• Crib retaining walls are a form of gravity wall.
• They are constructed of interlocking individual boxes made from timber or pre-cast
concrete.
• Then, the boxes are filled with crushed stone or other coarse granular materials to create
a free draining structure.
• Basic types of crib retaining walls include reinforced precast, and timber retaining walls.
• It is suited to support planter areas, but it is not recommended for support of slopes or
structures.
GABION RETAINING WALL
• Gabion retaining wall walls are multi-celled, rectangular wire mesh boxes, which
are filled with rocks or other suitable materials.
• It is employed for construction of erosion control structures.
• It is also used to stabilize steep slopes.
CANTILEVER RETAINING WALL
• Cantilever retaining wall composed of stem and base slab. It is constructed from reinforced
concrete, precast concrete, or prestress concrete.
• Cantilever retaining wall is the most common type used as retaining walls is either constructed on
site or prefabricated offsite i.e. precast.
• The portion of the base slab beneath backfill material is termed as heel, and the other part is
called toe.
• Cantilever retaining wall is economical up to height of 10m. It requires smaller quantity of
concrete compare with gravity wall but its design and construction shall be executed carefully.
COUNTER-FORT/ BUTTRESSED
RETAINING WALL
• It is a cantilever retaining wall but strengthened with counter forts monolithic
with the back of the wall slab and base slab.
• Counter fort spacing is equal or slightly larger than half of the counter-fort
height.
• Counter-fort wall height ranges from 8-12m.
ANCHORED RETAINING WALL
• This type of retaining wall is employed when the space is limited or thin retaining wall is
required.
• Anchored retaining wall is suitable for loose soil over rocks.
• Considerably high retaining wall can be constructed using this type of retaining wall
structure system.
• deep cable rods or wires are driven deep sideways into the earth, then the ends are
filled with concrete to provide anchor.
• Anchors (tiebacks) acts against overturning and sliding pressure.
PILED RETAINING WALL
• Pile retaining wall are constructed by driving reinforced concrete piles adjacent to each
other as shown in the Fig.
• Piles are forced into a depth that is sufficient to counter the force which tries to push over
the wall.
• Piled walls offer high stiffness retaining elements which are able to hold lateral pressure in
large excavation depths with almost no disturbance to surrounding structures or properties.
• Sheet pile walls are built using steel sheets into a slope or excavations up to a required
depth, but it cannot withstand very high pressure
MECHANICALLY STABILISED EARTH
(MSE) RETAINING WALL
• It is among the most economical and most commonly constructed retaining walls.
• Mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall is supported by selected fills (granular) and held
together by reinforcements, which can be either metallic strips or plastic meshes
• Types of MSE retaining wall include panel, concrete block, and temporary earth retaining walls.
HYBRID SYSTEM RETAINING WALL
• Retaining walls that use both mass and reinforcement for stability are termed
as Hybrid or Composite retaining wall systems.
