SLOPE STABILITY

 Finite and infinite slopes

 Types of failure of Finite slopes
 Factor of safety
 Stability of finite slopes by Swedish circle method
 Friction circle method
 Effect of sudden draw down and submergence
 Factor of safety using Taylor’s stability chart

Introduction:

Types of slopes:
 Natural, as in hill side and
valleys, coastal and river
cliffs etc.
 Man-made, as in
embankments for
highways, earthen dams,
temporary excavations, etc.
 Forces exist which tend to cause the soil to
move from high points to low points to get
a more stable configuration.
 If there is only tendency to move –
instability
 If actual movement of soil mass occurs, it
is a slope failure.

Man-made Slopes:

The failure of mass of soil located

beneath a slope – SLIDE.

 Experience has shown that

slopes of 1.5H:1V are
commonly stable.

 For dense mixture of sand

and gravel with boulders,
slopes of 1:1 have been
permanently stable.
Slopes:

Causes of Failure of Slopes

Causes of failure are,
 Gravitational force (always present)
 Force due to seepage of water
 Erosion of the surface of the slopes due to flowing water
 The sudden lowering of water adjacent to a slope
 Forces due to earth quakes (for short duration)
 Heavy rain fall
 External loading
 Construction activities at the toe of the slope

Types of Slope Failures

Rotational failure: Occurs by rotation along a slip surface by downward and outward movement
of soil mass.
 Circular - homogeneous soil
 Non-circular - non-homogeneous
There are 3 types of rotational failures: 1. Face failure. 2. Toe failure. 3. Base failure
Translational failure: Here the failure surface parallel to the slope.

Compound failure: It is acombination of the rotational slips and the translational slip.

Wedge failure/plane failure/block failure: Here the failure occurs along an inclined plane.

Stability Analysis

 Determination of the potential failure surface.

 Forces that tend to cause slip.
 Forces that tend to restore (stabilize)
 Determination of the available margin of safety (FOS).