Geo-technical Engineering

[TCVG3711]

Tutorial 6 – Slope Stability Analysis

Mr. Shade S. Muluti
smuluti@unam.na

School of Engineering & The Built Environment

Department of Civil and Mining Engineering
Example – LEM: Method of Slices
PROBLEM 1: Swedish & Bishop’s Simplified Method of Slices
▪ An embankment is to be constructed on a founding soil as shown in the following
figure. The respective soil properties for each material has also been provided.
7.0 m
O

6.0 m

Backfill
sat =20 kN/m3
10.0 m c’ = 0 kPa
' = 21º

35°
Foundation Soil
sat =22 kN/m3
c’ = 4 kPa
' = 32º
REQUIRED: NOTE: Use 8 slices.
o For the given trial circular failure surface, determine the factor of safety using the:
a) Ordinary (Swedish) Method
b) Bishop’s Simplified Method

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Example – LEM: Method of Slices
SOLUTION:

5.0 m 2.0 m
O

6.0 m

Backfill
sat =20 kN/m3
c’ = 0 kPa
10.0 m ' = 21º

35°

Foundation Soil
sat =22 kN/m3
c’ = 4 kPa
' = 32º

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Example – LEM: Method of Slices
SOLUTION:

Scale 1:1

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Example – LEM: Method of Slices
SOLUTION: (a) Ordinary (Swedish) Method
Short-Term Stability Analysis
o Undrained (Total stress) approach in Backfill Soil
o Effective stress (Drained) approach in Foundation Soil

Calculations for Slice 5:

1. Measure ∆ℓ from the figure:
∆ℓ𝟓 = 3.7 m

2. Measure angle (α) from the figure:

α5 = 18°
3. Measure the width (b) from the figure:
b5 = 3.5 m
4. Measure height of the slice from the figure:
ℎ𝐵𝐹 = 5.1 m & ℎ𝐹𝑆 = z = 0.6 m

Note: ℎ𝐹𝑆 = z , since the ground water table and the soil boundary interface coincide in this case.

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Example – LEM: Method of Slices
SOLUTION: (a) Ordinary (Swedish) Method
5. Self-weight (𝑊) of slice 5:
𝑊5 = 𝑏 ∙ 𝛾1 ℎ1 + 𝛾2 ℎ2 = 3.5 ∙ [ 20 × 5.1 + (22 × 0.6)]
𝑊5 = 403.2 kN/m
6. Normal Force (𝑃) acting on the slice 5:
𝑃5 = 𝑊5 ∙ 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼5 = 403.2 ∙ cos 18 = 383.47 𝑘𝑁/𝑚
7. Porewater Pressure Force (𝑈):
𝑈5 = 𝛾𝑤 ∙ 𝑧 ∙ ∆ℓ𝟓 = 9.81 0.6 3.7 = 21.78 𝑘𝑁/𝑚

8. Effective Normal Force (𝑃′):

𝑃′5 = 𝑃5 − 𝑈5 = 383.47 − 21.78 = 361.69 𝑘𝑁/𝑚
9. Driving Moment (𝑀𝐷 ):
𝑀𝐷 = 𝑊5 ∙ 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼5 = 403.2 ∙ sin 18 = 124.60 𝑘𝑁/𝑚
10. Resisting Moment (𝑀𝑅 ):
𝑀𝑅 = 𝑐 ′ ∆𝑙 + (𝑊5 ∙ 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼5 − 𝑈5 ) ∙ 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙′ = 4)(3.7) + (383.47 − 21.78) ∙ tan(32
𝑀𝑅 = 240.69 𝑘𝑁/𝑚
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Example – LEM: Method of Slices
SOLUTION: (a) Ordinary (Swedish) Method

Slice ∆ℓ z α W W·cos(α) U W·sin(α) c'·Δℓ (W·cos(α) – U)· tan(ϕ')

b (m) h (m)
No. (m) (m) (o) (kN/m) (kN/m) (kN/m) (kN/m) (kN/m) (kN/m)

2.0
1 2.1 4.5 0.0 63 84.00 38.14 0.00 74.84 0.00 14.64
0.0
5.2
2 2.1 3.2 0.0 50 218.40 140.38 0.00 167.30 0.00 53.89
0.0
6.6
3 2.6 3.4 0.0 39 343.20 266.72 0.00 215.98 0.00 102.38
0.0
6.5
4 2.6 3.0 0.0 29 338.00 295.62 0.00 163.87 0.00 113.48
0.0
5.1
5 3.5 3.7 0.6 18 403.20 383.47 21.60 124.60 14.68 226.12
0.6
2.6
6 3.5 3.5 1.3 6 282.10 280.55 44.89 29.49 14.08 147.26
1.3
0.7
7 2.0 2.0 1.4 -3 89.60 89.48 27.47 -4.69 8.00 38.75
1.4
0.0
8 5.0 5.2 0.7 -15 77.00 74.38 35.57 -19.93 20.72 24.25
0.7

Effective Stress Analysis ∑ 751.46 57.48 720.76

 [ c Δli i + (Wi cos  i - U i ) tan φi ]

57.48 + (720.76)
F = i =1
n = = 𝟏. 𝟎𝟒
(751.46)
 W sin 
i =1
i i

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Example – LEM: Method of Slices
SOLUTION: (b) Bishop’s Simplified Method
Short-Term Stability Analysis
o Undrained (Total stress) approach in Backfill Soil
o Effective stress (Drained) approach in Foundation Soil

Calculations for Slice 5:

1. Measure ∆ℓ from the figure:
∆ℓ𝟓 = 3.7 m

2. Measure angle (α) from the figure:

α5 = 18°
3. Measure the width (b) from the figure:
b5 = 3.5 m
4. Measure height of the slice from the figure:
ℎ𝐵𝐹𝑆 = 5.1 m & ℎ𝐹𝑆 = z = 0.6 m

Note: ℎ𝐹𝑆 = z , since the ground water table and the soil boundary interface coincide in this case.

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Example – LEM: Method of Slices
SOLUTION: (b) Bishop’s Simplified Method
5. Self-weight (𝑊) of slice 5:
𝑊5 = 𝑏 ∙ 𝛾1 ℎ1 + 𝛾2 ℎ2 = 3.5 ∙ [ 20 × 5.1 + (22 × 0.6)]
𝑊5 = 403.2 kN/m

6. Driving Moment (𝑀𝐷 ):

𝑀𝐷 = 𝑊5 ∙ 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼5 = 403.2 ∙ sin 18 = 124.60 𝑘𝑁/𝑚

7. Resisting Moment (𝑀𝑅 ):

𝑐 ′ ∙ 𝑏 = 4 3.5 = 14.0 𝑘𝑁/𝑚
𝑢 ∙ 𝑏 = 9.81 × 0.6 × 3.5 = 21.60 𝑘𝑁/𝑚

(𝑊5 − 𝑢𝑏) ∙ 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙′ = 403.2 − 21.6) ∙ tan(32 = 238.45 𝑘𝑁/𝑚

𝑐 ′ 𝑏 + (𝑊5 − 𝑢𝑏) ∙ 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙′ = 14.0) + (238.45 = 252.45 𝑘𝑁/𝑚

o Therefore, for the 1st Iteration, assume FS = 1.0:

𝑠𝑒𝑐𝛼𝑖 sec(18)
= = 0.87
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛼𝑖 ∙ 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙 ′ tan(18) ∙ tan(32)
1+ 1+
𝐹𝑆 (1.0)
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Example – LEM: Method of Slices
SOLUTION: (b) Bishop’s Simplified Method
Note: For the iteration, it is generally preferable to choose your initial FS as 1.0. This way, the
answer produced will immediately show you if your slope is at least initially stable (FS > 1.0) or
unstable (FS < 1.0). Convergence of the chosen FS and the computed FS usually occurs within 4
iterations if the computed FS from iteration 1 is used as the assumed FS in iteration 2 and so on.
𝑠𝑒𝑐𝛼5
𝑚1 = {𝑐 ′ 𝑏5 + (𝑊5 −𝑢5 𝑏5 )𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙′} ∙ = 252.45 ∙ 0.87 = 220.64 𝑘𝑁/𝑚
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛼5 ∙ 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙 ′
1+
𝐹𝑆

σ 𝑚𝑖
∴ 𝐹𝑆 = = 𝟏. 𝟏𝟕
σ(𝑊𝑖 ∙ 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼𝑖 )
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Thank You

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