GEOTECHNICAL

ENGINEERING
 SLOPES
INTRODUCTION
Slope failure has been identified as one of the most frequent
natural disasters that can lead to huge loss of property and lives.
Slope failures are triggered by number of external factors like
tectonic forces, weathering and erosion processes, and compounded-
anthropogenic factors in the high relief mountain system.
In most of the developing nations, highways excavated along
the hill slopes are the only means of conveyance. Both, major and
minor slope failure activities along these hills, cut slopes can be of
direct consequences.
The analysis of landslides is much complex as number of
factors contributes in it. So the analysis requires quite large number
of input parameters and also the analytical techniques are costly and
time consu- ming.
 Any means of land transportation especially highways and
road, greatly contributes to the easy way of living for the society.
Building roads and highways requires a thorough designing and
planning in which the relation between roads and other factors to be
considered is substantiate.
Factors such as road right of way and slopes are the main
things to be considered in establishing roads and highways. A
constructed highway that passes along slope areas is prominent in
some remote community particularly in the some mountainous place in
the in the Philippines.
 Landslide and soil erosion are some of the hazards related to
slopes. This hazards are triggered by the combination of human
involvement and control factors like lithology, slope, angle, land cover,
rock and soil type.
To identify the potential zones of failure we need to analyze and
collect geotechnical data to identify soil properties, and also to check
the safety and efficiency of existing slope protection.
The end result of most stability analyses is a value for factor of safety
(FS) which indicates the susceptability of a slope to failure for the
analysis conditions. The formula is:
 Classification of Slope
Natural slope – in various conditions, including rock
slope.
Man-made slope - including cut-back slope or slope
formed by filled material with adequate compaction,
usually provided with surface and surface drainage.
Man-made slope – formed mainly with the support
by retaining structures.
 Components on a well-design and
maintained man-made slope
1. Surface protection such as vegetation (rigid cover
(masonry, plaster or concrete)
2. Surface drainage (including surface channels, catch pits
and sand traps)
3. Subsurface drainage (including weep holes and subsoil
drain etc.)
4. Other protective provision such as pre-stressed ground
anchors.
Images of Slope Protection
 How a Slope fail?
Slope can collapse easily by shear if the soil is nearly saturated
and high pore pressure can be built up rapidly. The falling debris
carried by its potential and momentum can rush down the slope at very
high speed and travel a long distance causing huge damages. Besides,
highly decomposed rock in a slope may behave very similar to soil.
 Factors affecting the stability of slope
1. Topography and its surrounding physical conditions. Detail
analysis can be done by appropriate site investigation process.
2. Geological conditions such as the nature and depth of its subsoil,
degree of decomposition, or location of fracture etc. This data can
be obtained by soil investigation.
3. Shear strength of the slope-forming materials. Data can be
obtained using appropriate laboratory tests.
4. Surface and ground water condition
5. External loading and surcharges, such as from traffic, near by
structures, possible vibration etc.
 Improvement of Slope by Soft Surface
1. Hydroseeding – is the application of grass seed mixed with
fertilizer and nutrient in aqueous solution by spraying method. The
grass seed will grow eventually and the root of the grass will act as
an organic reinforcing fiber and hold the surface soil.
2. Turfing – Turfing is the direct application of grass with developed
roots onto the slope surface. The relatively matured grass will grow
easier and extend its root into the soil to strengthen the overall
surface.
3. Planting of tree – usually done at the same time with the other
method to provide better visual result and provide further
strengthening effect to the slope by its deep root.
 Slope failures along hill cut road slopes are the major
nuisance for commuters and highway planners as they put
the human lives at huge risk, coupled with immense
monetary losses. Analysis of these vulnerable cut slopes
entails the assessment and estimation of the suitable
material strength input parameters to be used in the
numerical models to accomplish a holistic stability
examination.
 References
• R. K. UMRAO, R. SINGH, M. AHMAD, T. N. SINGH (2011). Stability
Analysis of Cut Slopes Using Continuous Slope Mass Rating and Kinematic
Analysis in Rudraprayag District, Uttarakhand. Department of Earth
Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai, India
.Geomaterials, 2011, 1, 79-87 
• ASHUTOSH KAINTHOLA, P.K. SINGH, T.N. SINGH (2013). Stability
investigation of road cut slope in basaltic rockmass, Mahabaleshwar, India.
Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay,
Mumbai 400076, India. Geoscience Frontiers 6 (2015) 837e845
• PRATT R. (1984). Simplified Stability Assessment for Low Volume Road Cut
and Fill Slopes.