A CRITICAL STATE APPROACH TO STABILITY OF CLAY SHALE FOR DESIGN

STRUCTURES OF THE SENTUL HILL, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA

Putera Agung1*, MA; Damianto, B1; Yuwono1; Istiatun1

1
Civil Engineering of State Polytechnic of Jakarta (PNJ) – UI Campus, Indonesia
*E-mail: putera_agung2002@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The article presents the results of detailed geotechnical and laboratory investigations which served as the
basis for the model of a sliding, unstable slope in the area of designed structures at the Sentul Hill, West Java,
Indonesia. On the basis of geotechnical profiles the stability analyses were carried out. As for the input data of
stability analyses the results of unconfined compression and triaxial tests along with the modified Michalowski
(1995) failure criterion were used. The critical failure was also accurately determined by means of inclination
measurements and mineralogy of clay shale.

Keywords: critical state; clay shales; slope stability.

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, the term of intermediate geotechnical material has been introduced to describe earth
materials that do not fit well into the description of either soil or rock (Smith et al, 2006). Overconsolidated
clays and clay shales are a part of the family of this term. The key difference between other sedimentary rocks
and overconsolidated clays and clay shales is that these materials can make such a transition from rock or
intermediate geotechnical material to soil within the life of a civil engineering project. A distinguishing feature
of this classification is that, while they exist in nature in a rock-like form, when disturbed they can regress back
to a soil-like material within the life span of a project. The dilemma of selecting shear strength values for
design of specific projects is that these strength values are subject to change, i.e., decrease, during the life of
the project. Unfortunately, the technical capability of predicting the rate of strength loss with time does not
exist today, and because of the complexity of the variables affecting to the time-loss relationship, it is unlikely
that reliable relationship will be developed in the near future and further study.

Study area is located at near the Indocement Hill. Wijaya (2004) carried out previous soil investigation and
slope stability analysis around this area. Study results indicated that natural slopes of Sentul Hill is the
outcome of weathering process of clay shale layer of clay with a thickness varying between 2 – 4 m. Below the
clay layer there is a layer of clay shale having a value of unconfined compression test (qu) varying between 23
– 149 kg/cm2. Stability analysis applied Michalowski method (1995) and included the level of resistance factor
(durability) of shale clay layer. According to the study results, durability values vary between low to high based
on Gamble (1971). Additional geotechnical investigations to this study have been conducted at this area as
shown in Figure 1. Moreover, there are two additional boreholes in the total depth of 20.0 m were carried out.

Figure 1. Study area for clay shale

MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF CLAY SHALE

Figure 2 shows the typical data at the point of boring log of Sentul Hill. Figure 2 also identifies cemented
clayey silt, hard condition, and gray at the depth from 5.0 to 10.0 m with average layer thickness of 2 to 4 m.
Number of blow of standard penetration test or N – SPT value is > 60. Field characteristic data of hard
cemented clayey silt layer is appropriated with study reports from Wijaya (2004) and classification of clay
shale layer at study area is clear.

Figure 2. Typical cross section of boring log at Sentul Hill

Grain distribution and Atterberg Limit tests of clay shale from Sentul Hill are shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 shows the
layer of clay shale consisted of a mixture of clay and silt. From Atterberg Limits test, liquid limit (LL) values are
found between 112.8 to 117.6% and plasticity index (IP) values of 59.8 to 66.8%. Specific gravity (Gs) of clay
shale at the location of study is 2.62.

Generally, clay shale material investigated at Sentul Hill, Indonesia is similar to Bisaccia located approximately
100 km from the city of Naples, Italy. In Bisaccia hillside location consists of cemented conglomerates derived
from tectonic processes such as volcanic clay shale with platisitas index (LL = 110% to 190% and IP = 60% to
70%) (Picarelli et al, 2006).
 Figure 3. Typical properties of clay shale based on laboratory test

STRENGTH PARAMETERS OF CLAY SHALE

In geotechnical engineering way, shear strength parameter are usually written using Mohr – Coulomb failure
criterion, Figure 4 shows the Mohr – Coulomb circles and shear strength characteristics from Sentul Hill.
Determination of the clay shale strength parameters were carried out by the laboratory works of unconfined
compression and triaxial tests (Table 1). Extremely high values of unconfined compression test were
established with the undisturbed and remolded samples of clay shale (quu = 300 – 454 kPa; qur = 135.5 –
343.3 kPa). True triaxial test data (ASTM D.2850-95) were indicated by undisturbed samples tests (c = 25.5 –
44.1 kPa, = 12.9 – 17.2 ) containing clay and silt fractions and typical characteristic of Mohr circle results.
o o
 Figure 4. Mohr circles and pertinent shear characteristics

Table 1. Strength and deformation parameters

Laboratory estimated range values

Point of Depth Unconfined compression test Triaxial test (UU)
Bor-Log (m) quu (undisturbed) qur (remolded)
St  (o) c (kPa)
(kPa) (kPa)
1.50 – 2.00 247.10 188.70 1.30 17.2 26.5
1 3.50 – 4.00 189.7 157.7 1.20 12.9 32.4
5.50 – 6.00 403.3 343.3 1.20 13.0 34.3
1.50 – 2.00 154.7 135.5 1.10 14.4 25.5
2
3.50 – 5.00 425.6 329.5 1.30 16.3 44.1

MINERALOGY OF CLAY SHALE

Stark and Duncan (1991) investigated stiff and desiccated clay. They showed that shear strength of the clay
decreases rapidly to the fully softened strength when the clay is soaked. When the clay is subjected to a cyclic
loading, the strength decreases gradually from the fully softened to its residual value. Skempton (1977)
concludes that heavily over consolidated clay is usually firm and stable and has comparatively high shear
strength in its original condition. Chemical changes along exposed fissured (weathering) cause reduction of
the shear strength. Depending on the progress of weathering, weak zones are developed in a potentially
unstable slope. In the most stressed areas, small movements begin to develop that leads to further reduction
of shear strength and slope instability.

Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock formed from clays compacted together by pressure. Shale is
generally characterized by thin laminae breaking with an irregular curve fracture, often splintery and usually
parallel to the often – indistinguishable bedding plane (Wikipedia, 2007). The main engineering behaviors of
shale is that it is very hard, however, once it is exposed to sunrays, air, and water within a relatively short time
it will become soft clays (mud).

In this paper, mineralogical-petrographic are only discussed in macroscopic investigations on the same
samples as triaxial shear tests, However, the macroscopic investigation cannot represent a significant
anisotropy of the clay shale as classified as soft rock. From some literatures, laminae of soft rock consist on
one part of mineral particles of predominantly clayey, and on the other part of predominantly silty size. In the
clayey part, cracking systems appear mostly longitudinally to the stratification, being followed also by
predominant primary slaty, whereas in the silty part the cracking systems appear transversally or obliquely on
the stratification. Further microcospic investigations of clay shale at study area are required to investigate the
shearing in laboratory conditions occurred alongside the weakened planes.
MICHALOWSKI METHOD

Strength of the soil is described by the Mohr – Coulomb yield condition as a function of the cohesion (c), and
the internal friction angle (. A common definition of the factor of safety (F) is the ratio of the shear strength of
the soil to the shear stress necessary to maintain limit equilibrium (Michalowski, 1995).
c 
F  (1)
c d d
where cd and d are the soil strength parameters necessary only to maintain the structure in limit equilibrium.
They are sometimes referred to as ‘‘mobilized’’ strength parameters.

To present the results in a dimensionless manner, the method introduced a stability number defined as:
c c
N d  (2)
 H  HF
For the purpose of presenting the influence of the pore water on the stability of slopes, the distribution of the
pore water pressure is described by coefficient ru defined by Bishop and Morgenstern (1960) as:
u
ru  (3)
H
where u = magnitude of the pore water pressure, = soil unit weight, and h = depth of the point on the failure
surface below the slope surface. Stability charts for slopes with ru equal to 0; 0.25; and 0.50 are presented in
Fig. 5. The data in the charts in Fig. 5 was created by Michalowski (2002).

Figure 5. Stability charts for uniform slopes (Michalowski, 2002)

STABILITY ANALYSIS

Slope stability analysis of clay shale layers at Sentul Hill were analyzed using Michalowski method (1995).
Based on recent and previous data soil investigation, upper clay layer of natural slopes of Sentul Hill is the
result of weathering of clay shale with a thickness varying between 2 – 4 m. At the bottom layer there is a
clay shale layer which has a value of unconfined compression test (qu) varied between 300 – 454 kPa. Table 2
shows all slope stability analysis at study area.
In this study, detail measurements for slope inclination using inclinometer did not performed, so that
subsequent stability analyses for the shear zone the lowest results of shear strength from laboratory
investigations for undisturbed samples were taken into account. Influence of durability of clay shale layers as
were not considered on stability analysis since there is no data of clay shale durability testing results. For one
case, a profile of clay shale layer at Sentul Hill (Figure 6) was used for slope stability analysis using the
Michalowski method (1995).

Figure 6. Profile of clay shales layers between DB. 1 and DB. 2

Existing conditions of natural slope of Sentul Hill are between 3.8° and 28.6°. Parameter weight volume and
shear strength can be seen in Table 1. Value of c / .H. tan  for the slope conditions are found between 0.3
to 0.5. All slopes were subjected to pore pressures equivalent to those described by ru = 0.50.

Table 2. Stability level of Sentul Hill

Distance  c  H  Slope
Section o 2 3 o c / . H . tan  F tan  F
(m) ( ) (kN/m ) (kN/m ) (m) ( ) condition
50 12.8 25.5 15.2 11.4 14.4 0.5 7.1 1.82 Safe
1 100 9.3 25.5 18.3 16.4 14.4 0.3 7.2 1.84 Safe
150 11.8 44.1 18.3 30.8 16.3 0.3 6.8 2.75 Safe
50 13.7 44.1 18.3 12.2 16.3 0.5 5.4 1.98 Safe
100 7.3 34.3 14.8 12.8 13.0 0.5 10.7 2.47 Safe
2
150 7.4 32.4 14.8 19.6 12.9 0.5 10.9 2.60 Safe
200 5.8 26.5 17.1 20.2 17.2 0.5 11.3 2.49 Safe
50 13.2 44.1 14.8 11.7 16.3 0.5 5.6 1.64 Safe
100 9.8 44.1 15.2 17.2 16.3 0.5 7.3 2.13 Safe
150 11.6 44.1 17.1 30.7 16.3 0.3 8.2 2.40 Safe
Overall 200 9.0 44.1 17.1 31.6 16.3 0.3 7.0 2.04 Safe
250 7.4 34.3 18.3 32.4 13.0 0.3 10.3 2.38 Safe
300 7.4 34.3 18.3 38.8 13.0 0.2 10.1 2.33 Safe
350 6.4 34.3 18.3 39.3 13.0 0.2 10.8 2.49 Safe
From study analysis, Michalowski method illustrates that the relative boundary analysis gives a better
perspective and is one way in explaining the behavior and stability level of natural slopes from clay shale
layers. Analysis of the limits on Michalowski method provides information on the area that slopes Sentul Hill is
in a stable or safe condition. It is based on a critical high slope is much higher than the actual condition.  The
overall stability of slope shows the value of safety factor (F) between 1.64 and 2.75.

CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION

Research on natural slope of Bukit Sentul is one part of the main study for clay shale behavior in Indonesia.
This paper only focused to the stability analysis using one of advanced methods available. In geotechnical
engineering way, slope stability analysis used the parameter cohesive shear strengths (c) and angles of
friction () based on the laboratory triaxial data. Several analyses applied the advanced of Michalowski
method and indicated the natural slopes at study area in safe or stable condition and regardless of durability
rate of clay shale layers as in the study results from Wijaya (2004).

However, advanced research is required to continue this study. More studies are required to determine
classification of clay shale in the group of intermediate geotechnical material. Approach to the analysis of soil
strength parameters (c and ) should also be reviewed from the aspects of an engineering – geological of
rocks, although geotechnical engineering aspects were implemented using Mohr – Coulomb failure criterion
and indicated factually the natural slopes in the study area in a safe condition. However, triaxial data used for
slope stability analysis cannot reflect yet the actual condition of the shear strength of clay shale layer since the
material more indicates as the rock mass behavior. In addition, clay shale is often less than the peak bulk
strength measured in the laboratory when the first – time slides. The answer of safety factor (F) was given so
far to this question and not always satisfactory, probably because different mechanisms, often
contemporaneously acting. Despite experience supports this observation, the mechanics of this phenomenon
is not completely clear. Wijaya (2004) suggested that durability factor for Sentul Hill could vary between low to
high based on the Gamble (1971), however, the value of durability determined by unconfined compression
test must be compared with uniaxial compression test results.

For slope stability analysis, several methods implemented to approach the in situ real conditions at study area
and to employ powerful formulations to satisfy this imperative. These formulations have taken a great
importance, especially in their stochastic form. Michalowski method can be relevance to the real problem at
study area and should be supported by a factor of durability of clay shale.

REFERENCES

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Engineering, Vol. 128, No. 4, pp. 351 – 355.

Michalowski, R. L. (1995). Slope stability analysis: a kinematical approach. Geotechnique, 45 (2), pp. 283 –
293.

Picarelli. L., Urciuoli. G., Mandolini.A., Ramondini . M. (2006). Softening and instability of natural slopes in
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Stark, T. D. and Duncan, J. M. (1991). Mechanism of strength loss in stiff clays, Journal of Geotechnical
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Wikipedia (2007). The Free Encyclopedia, Florida, U.S.A.