SLOPE STABILITY

Engineer Aamir Nadeem

8/28/2018
 SLOPE STABILITY

 The term slope stability may be defined as; the Resistance of

inclined surface to failure by sliding or collapsing”.
The field of slope stability encompasses the analysis of static
and dynamic stability of slopes of earth and rock-fill dams,
slopes of other types of embankments, excavated slopes, and
natural slopes in soil and soft rocks.
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
Example…
Landslides are natural phenomenon involving movement
of earth materials at different scales, varying from small
insignificant rock falls to huge movement of materials
producing catastrophic effects
Usually natural slopes are stable when they are not
disturbed by any external force, such as seismic and
hydrostatic forces, blasting and surcharge loading.
Cont.…
• The loss caused by the land sliding may be reduced more than 90
percent by incorporating the results of improved geological and
geotechnical studies.

• With modern computer power it is possible to carry out a kinematic

analysis that would give a figure for the likelihood of failure
 OBJECTIVES OF SLOPE STABILITY
The main objectives of slope stability analysis are;
 Finding endangered areas.
To analyze slope stability and to understand failure mechanisms and the
influence of environmental factors.
Determination of the slope sensitivity to different triggering mechanisms.
 Designing of optimal slopes with regard to safety, reliability & economic
Designing possible remedial measures, e.g. barriers and stabilization.
Basic Parameters
• Rock type
 This defines the process by which the rock was formed.
 An indication of the properties of the rock mass.
• Rock strength
The compressive strength of the rock comprising the discontinuity
surfaces is an important component of shear strength and
deformability.
• Fault
Discontinuity along which there has been an observable amount
of displacement.
Cont.…
Cont.…
• Bedding
Surface parallel to the surface of deposition, which may or may
not have a physical expression, is termed as “Bedding”.
• Joints
Discontinuity in which there has been no observable relative
movement.
• Aperture
 The perpendicular distance separating the adjacent rock
surfaces of an open discontinuity, in which the intervening space
is air or water filled.
 TYPES OF ROCK SLOPE FAILURES

Plane Failure
Wedge Failure
Circular Failure
Toppling Failure
 PLANE FAILURE
• General conditions for plane failure
• Plane failure occurs due to sliding along a single
discontinuity. The conditions for sliding are;
The plane on which sliding occurs must strike
parallel or nearly parallel (within approximately ±20◦)
to the slope face.
The sliding plane must “daylight” in the slope face,
which means that the dip of the plane must be less
than the dip of the slope face, that is, ψp < ψf .
The dip of the sliding plane must be greater than the
angle of friction of this plane, that is, ψp > φ.
The upper end of the sliding surface either intersects
the upper slope, or terminates in a tension crack.
 PLANE FAILURE ANALYSIS
The slope geometries and ground water conditions considered in this analysis are defined in
following Figure, which shows two geometries as follows:
(a) slopes having a tension crack in the upper surface
(b) slopes with a tension crack in the face.
FOS = Resisting force/Driving force

= cA +∑N tan φ / ∑S

N=W cosψp − U − V sinψp

S=W sinψp + V cosψp

FS = cA + (W cosψp − U − V sinψp) tan φ

W sinψp + V cosψp
• A = (H + b tanψs − z) cosecψp
The slope height is H, the tension crack depth is z and it is located a distance b behind the
slope crest. The dip of the slope above the crest is ψs. When the depth of the water in the
tension crack is zw, the water forces acting on the sliding plane U and in the tension crack V
are given by

• U = 1/2γwzw(H + b tan ψs − z) cosecψp

• V = 1/2 γwzw²
• W =γr[(1 − cotψf tanψp) bH + ½ H cot ψf+ ½b²(tan ψs − tan ψp)]
For the tension crack in the slope face
• W = ½γrH²[(1− z/H²cot ψp×(cot ψp tanψf − 1)]

FS = cA + (W cosψp − U − V sinψp) tan φ

W sinψp + V cosψp
 Example Problem
A 12-m high rock slope has been excavated at a face angle of
60◦. The rock in which this cut has been made contains
persistent bedding planes that dip at an angle of 35◦ into the
excavation. The 4.35-m deep tension crack is 4m behind the
crest, and is filled with water to a height of 3m above the sliding
surface. The strength parameters of the sliding surface are as
follows:
Cohesion, c = 25 kPa

Friction angle, φ = 37◦

The unit weight of the rock is 26kN/m3, and the unit weight of the water is 9.81kN/m3.

• Factor of safety calculations

a) Calculate the factor of safety of the slope for the conditions given in Figure.
b) Determine the factor of safety if the tension crack were completely filled with water due to run-off collecting
on the crest of the slope.
c) Determine the factor of safety if the slope were completely drained.
d) Determine the factor of safety if the cohesion were to be reduced to zero due to excessive vibrations from
nearby blasting operations, assuming that the slope was still completely drained.
 Circular failure
• When the material is weak (as in soil slope)
or when the rock mass is heavily jointed or
broken (as in a waste rock dump) the failure
surface is likely to be circular. When the
pattern of discontinuities is random, circular
failure modes are likely.
Circular failure Analysis

Hoek chart
 Use of the circular failure charts
Step 1: Decide upon the ground water conditions which are believed to
exist in the slope and choose the chart which is closest to these
conditions, using Hoek Chart.

Step 2: Select rock strength parameters applicable to the material forming

the slope.

Step 3: Calculate the value of the dimensionless ratio c/(γ H tan φ) and
find this value on the outer circular scale of the chart.

Step 4: Follow the radial line from the value found in step 3 to its
intersection with the curve which corresponds to the slope angle.

Step 5: Find the corresponding value of tan φ/FS or c/(γ H FS),

depending upon which is more convenient, and calculate the factor of
safety.
 Example Problem 1: Circular Failure Analysis

• A 15.2-m high cut with a face angle of 40◦ is to be excavated in

overburden soil with a density γ = 15.7 kN/m3, a cohesion of 38 kPa
and a friction angle of 30◦.
Find the factor of safety of the slope, assuming that there is a surface
water source 61m behind the toe of the slope.
 Example Problem 2: Circular Failure Analysis
• A 22-m high rock cut with a face angle of 60◦ has been excavated in a massive, very weak
volcanic tuff. A tension crack has opened behind the crest and it is likely that the slope is on
the point of failure, that is, the factor of safety is approximately 1.0. The friction angle of the
material is estimated to be 30◦, its density is 25 kN/m3, and the position of the water table is
shown on the sketch of the slope (shown in Figure). The rock contains no continuous joints
dipping out of the face, and the most likely type of failure mode is circular failure.
Required
1) Carry out a back analysis of the failure to determine the limiting
value of the cohesion when the factor of safety is 1.0.

2) Using the strength parameters calculated in (a), determine the

factor of safety for a completely drained slope. Would drainage of
the slope be a feasible method of stabilization?

3) Using the ground water level shown in Figure and the strength
parameters calculated in (a), calculate the reduction in slope
height, that is, amount of unloading of the slope crest required to
increase the factor of safety to 1.3.
 Wedge failure
• Wedge failure exists where two discontinuities strike
obliquely across the slope face and their line of
intersection daylights in the slope face
 Conditions for wedge
failure

1. Two planes will always intersect in a line.

 Conditions for wedge failure
2. The plunge of the line of intersection must be flatter
than the dip of the face, and steeper than the average
friction angle of the two slide planes, that is ψfi > ψi > φ
 Conditions for wedge failure
3.The line of intersection must dip in a direction out of the face for sliding to be feasible;
the possible range in the trend of the line of intersection is between αi and αi
 Analysis of wedge
failure
• The factor of safety of the wedge
defined in Figure assuming that sliding
is resisted only by friction and that the
friction angle φ is the same for both
planes, is given by

Ψi=dip of line of intersection

Ф=friction Angle
β,δ=wedge geometry factors
 REMEDIAL MEASURES FOR ROCK SLOPES

1. Stabilization methods;
• Reduction of the driving forces and increase of resisting forces. Stabilization
measures reduce likelihood of rocks from moving out of place and also reduce
the progressive deterioration.
When possible, the slope stability is improved by:
 Removing unstable or potentially unstable material
 Flattening the slope
 Removing weight from the upper part of the slope
 Incorporate benches in the slope
 REMEDIAL MEASURES FOR ROCK SLOPES

2. Protection methods;
 Prevent rock materials which have moved out of place on the slope,
from reaching vulnerable areas.
 The initial cost is less then stabilization methods, but usually they
require more maintenance.
 REMEDIAL MEASURES FOR ROCK SLOPES
3. Warning and instrumentation methods;
• These methods help predict when movement are going to occur or that a hazardous failure
has occurred and further failures may be imminent.
SLOPE MONITORING INSTRUMENTS
• Extensometers
• Time domain reflectometry (TDR)
• Inclinometers
• Piezometers
• Crack Meters