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SLOPE
- Can be natural or man-made
- (unrestrained) exposed ground surface that stands at an angle with

SLOPE STABILITY the horizontal

ANALYSIS Triggering Factors

CE 522

Soil Weight

Figure 1a. Concept of Slope Failure Figure 1b. Types of Slope Failures

Internal
Stability Problems General Parameters
- Result from the selection of poor quality embankment materials Strength of Soil
and/or improper placement of the embankment fills and/or improper - Includes: (a) Cohesion, (b) Angle of Internal Friction, (c) Interlocking of
placement requirements Grains, and (d) Reinforcement
- Such as Infinite Slope Failure Mode Geometry of Soil
External - Includes: (a) Shape of the Ground Surface, (b) Shape of Possible Slide
- Due to external factors Surfaces, (c) The Pattern of Layering within the Soil, and (d) The forms
of significant discontinuities such as joints or shear zones
- Examples:
Pore-Water Pressure
- Circular arc failure in embankment fill and foundation soil
- Includes: (a) Pore-water Pressure, and (b) Seepage Forces
- Sliding block failure in embankment fill and foundation soil
- Due to movement of water through Soil
- Lateral squeeze of foundation soil.
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Factor of Safety, Fs Stability of Infinite Slopes

- Determinant of Slope Stability (No Seepage) W = Vol = LH(1unit length)
Force Perpendicular to AB:
- Can be defined as:
N = Wcos = LHcos
F = ; F = ; F = ; F = ; Force Parallel to AB:
T = Wsin = LHsin
where: - the force that causes the slip along
the plane
- Fs = factor of safety with respect to strength
Effective Normal Stress at AB:
- f = average shear strength of the soil ( = c + tan ) N LHcos
= = = Hcos
- d = average shear stress developed along the potential failure Area of Base L
surface ( = c + tan ) cos
Shear Stress at AB:
T LHsin
Figure 1c. Infinite Slope AB = = = Hcossin
Fs = 1 (under State of Failure) Area of Base L
cos
Fs = 1.5 (Acceptable for the Design of Stable Slopes)

Stability of Infinite Slopes Stability of Infinite Slopes

(No Seepage) For the developed stress: (No Seepage)
= c + tan , Factor of Safety, FS:
substitute and
c tan
Thus:
F = +
Hcos tan tan
Hcossin = c + Hcos tan
or:
Critical Height, Hcr:
= cossin cos tan - Fs = 1, and H = Hcr
= cos tan tan
c 1
H =
Figure 1c. Infinite Slope AB With respect to Fs: Figure 1c. Infinite Slope AB
cos (tan tan )
tan = ; and c =
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.
Example Stability of Infinite Slopes
Refer to the infinite slope shown in the figure.
Given: = 25, = 17.8 kN/m3, = 28, and (Steady-State Seepage) W= Vol = LH(1unit length)
c = 31kN/m2. Find the height, H, such that a Force Perpendicular to AB:
factor of safety, Fs, of 2.75 is maintained N = Wcos = LHcos
against sliding along the soilrock interface.
Force Parallel to AB:
.
For the slope shown in the figure, determine T = Wsin = LHsin
the height, H, for critical equilibrium. Given: - the force that causes the slip along
=30, = 18.05 kN/m3, = 21, and the plane
c=14.3kN/m2.
Effective Normal Stress at AB:
Activity: For the infinite slope shown in the figure N LHcos
(consider that there is no seepage through the = =
L
= Hcos
soil). Given: = 28, = 16 kN/m3, = 18, Area of Base
and c = 10kN/m2. Determine: cos
a. The factor of safety against sliding along the Shear Stress at AB:
soilrock interface T LHsin
b. The height, H, that will give a factor of safety = =
Area of Base L
(Fs) of 2 against sliding along the soilrock cos
interface Figure 1d. Infinite Slope AB = Hcossin

Stability of Infinite Slopes Stability of Infinite Slopes

(Steady-State Seepage) For the developed stress: (Steady-State Seepage)
= c + tan , and = u Factor of Safety, FS:
thus = c + ( u)tan
where: u = pore water pressure c tan
u = h = Hcos
F = +
Hcos tan tan
substitute , and u
Hcossin
= c + ( Hcos Hcos )tan
Hcossin = c + Hcos tan

or = cos tan tan

With respect to Fs:
tan = ; and c =
Figure 1d. Infinite Slope AB Figure 1d. Infinite Slope AB
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Stability of Infinite Slopes

(Using Charts)
Factor of Safety, FS:
tan c where:
F =A +B A and B parameters from Figure 7
tan
Seepage Parallel to Slope Seepage Emerging from Slope at angle

(a) (b)
r = cos r =
T (1 + tantan) Figure 7. Parameters A and B
Note: ru = 0 (for slopes with no seepage)

Example Activity
.
Determine the factor of safety, Fs, for the
infinite slope shown in the figure, where
seepage is occurring through the soil and the .
The figure shows an infinite slope with H = 8.22
groundwater table coincides with the ground
surface. Given: H = 11 m, = 18, = m, and the groundwater table coinciding with the
19.2 kN/m3, = 22, and c= 46 kN/m2. ground surface. If there is seepage through the soil,
determine the factor of safety against sliding along
. the plane AB. The soil properties are as follows:
An infinite slope is shown in the figure. The shear Gs=2.73, e = 0.69, = 28, = 18, and c= 47.8
strength parameters at the interface of soil and kN/m2.
rock are = 26, and c = 21 kN/m2. Given :
=1950kg/m3.
a. If H = 5 m and = 18, find the factor of safety
against sliding on the rock surface.
b. If = 27, find the height, H, for which
Fs = 1.75.