7-54 Geotechnical Engineering Handbook

FIGURE 7.34 Slope stability charts for φ > 0 soils (after Janbu 1968).

1. If there is water outside the slope, a circle passing above the water may be critical.
2. If a weaker layer underlies a stronger layer, then the critical circle may be tangent to the
base of the weaker layer.
3. If a stronger layer underlies a weaker layer, then the critical circle may be tangent to the
base of either layer, and both possibilities should be examined.
The following steps are performed for each potential critical circle:
Step 1. Calculate the parameter Pd according to Equation 7.81. If the slip circle passes
above the toe of the slope, then the point of intersection of the circle and the slope
is taken as the toe of the slope for calculation of H and H w . If there is no surcharge,
no external water above the toe, and no tension cracks, then the factors µq , µ w ,
and µ t are all taken as unity.
Step 2. Calculate the parameter Pe as follows:

γ H + q − γ w H w′
Pe = (7.83)
µq µ w′

where H w′ is the height of water or the average level of the piezometric level within
the slope and µ′w is the seepage correction factor obtained from Figure 7.32. For
a steady seepage condition, H w′ is related to the position of the phreatic surface
beneath the crest of the slope, as shown in Figure 7.35.
Step 3. Calculate the dimensionless parameter λ c φ as follows:

Pe tan φ
λc φ = (7.84)
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