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Review Module – Geotechnical Engineering: Slope Stability
I. SLOPE STABILITY SITUATION 1. An infinite slope has shear strength parameters at the interface of soil
A. INFINITE SLOPES and rock as follows: c = 20 kPa, ρ = 1800 kg/m3, Ø = 25°.
NORMAL AND SHEARING STRESSES: 1. If H = 10 m and β = 25°, find the factor of safety against sliding.
𝜎 = 𝛾𝐻𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝛽 (Normal Stress) 2. Find the normal and shearing stress at the interface.
𝜏 = 𝛾𝐻𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛽𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛽 (Shearing Stress) SITUATION 2. An infinite slope in purely cohesive soil has a saturated unit weight of
𝑐 + 𝜎𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙 𝑐 20 kN/m3. Cohesion of 48 kPa. It has a slope of 18°. The clay has a depth of 5 m over
𝐹𝑆 = = = ledge rock.
𝑐𝑑 + 𝜎𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙𝑑 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙𝑑 𝑐𝑑
1. Determine the factor of safety against slippage.
FACTOR OF SAFETY AGAINST SLIDING: 2. Determine the critical depth of the slope.
No pore water pressure: 3. Stability number for the critical height.
𝑐 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙
𝐹. 𝑆. = + SITUATION 3. An infinite slope has the follow properties: Gs = 2.70, e = 0.54, c = 25
𝛾𝐻𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝛽𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛽 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛽
kPa, Ø = 30°, β = 20°, H = 7m
1. Determine the saturated unit weight of soil.
2. Determine the factor of safety against sliding. Consider seepage through the soil
and assume that the ground water table is at the ground surface.
3. Determine the factor of safety against sliding if there is no seepage.
SITUATION 4. An infinite slope of granular soil has a slope of 23°. The saturated unit
weight of sand is 21.5 kN/m3 and the angle of friction is 35°. The soil has a depth of
5 m.
1. Compute the factor of safety of the infinite slope without seepage.
2. Compute the factor of safety of the infinite slope of sand layer when subjected to
Critical height of slope: partial seepage parallel to the slope with water at a vertical depth of 3 m above the
𝑐 interface.
𝐻𝑐𝑟 = 2 3. Factor of safety if subjected to full seepage.
𝛾 cos 𝛽(𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛽 − 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙)
Seepage is present on the soil: SITUATION 5. A cut slope was excavated in saturated clay as shown. The slope
𝑐 (𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 − 𝛾𝑤 )𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙 made an angle of 60° with the horizontal. When the slope of failure occurs, BC = 8
𝐹. 𝑆. = + m. Given the following: m = 0.185, γ = 18 kN/m3, cU = 20 kPa.
𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 𝐻𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝛽𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛽 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛽

Where: 1. Determine the stability factor.

FS = Factor of safety against sliding 2. Critical depth of cut.
c = Cohesion of soil 3. Angle of failure plane.
γ = Unit weight of soil
γSAT = Saturated unit weight of soil SITUATION 6. A 9m cut slope is shown. The unit weight of soil is 17kN/m 3. Friction
H = Height of soil above the interface of rock and soil angle and cohesion along the rock surface are 20 degrees and 24kPa respectively.
β = Angle of backfill from horizontal The slope makes an angle of 300 from horizontal and the failure plane is at 150
Φ = Angle of friction
B. FINITE SLOPES
𝐹𝑓 + 𝐹𝑐
𝐹. 𝑆. =
𝑊𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
𝑐𝑑 1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠( 𝛽 − 𝜙𝑑 )
=
𝛾𝐻 4 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛽 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜙𝑑
𝑐𝑑
𝑚= = 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟
𝛾𝐻
1
= 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝑚
1. Determine the force tending to cause sliding.
2. Determine the frictional force along the failure plane.
3. Determine the cohesive force.
4. Factor of safety against sliding.
SITUATION 7. A cut is to be made in a soil that has γ = 18 kN/m3, c = 10 kPa and Ø
= 30°. The side of the slope will make an angle of 25°. What depth of the cut slope
will have a factor of safety of 3?
1. Find the value of the critical angle along which the maximum developed cohesion
occurs.
2. Determine the depth of cut