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Course:
Soil Mechanics
Slope Stability

Overview of Slope Stability

Types of Slope Failure
Slope failure is one of the most

Falls (rock falls)generally

important types of failure in

geotechnical engineering
As opposed to other types of
failure (especially settlement,)
slope failures are generally
catastrophic
Slope failures in Sweden in
early 1900s led to development
of one of the first analytic
methods of geotechnical
analysisrotational failure
analysis using slip circle and
method of slices

by surface rock
Topplesrotation of rock
away from a vertically
inclined joint or fissure
Slides

Rotational slidesthe classic

mode of slope failure, rotational
failure along a circular (or
nearly so) surface
Translational slidesfailure
along a planar surface

Spreadslike translational

slide, except material

separates and moves apart
as it moves downward
Flowsmaterial comes
down in nearly liquid form
includes avalanches

Aspects of Slope Stability Analysis

Limit equilibrium analysis
Evaluate the slope as if it
were about to fail and
determine the shear
strength along the surface
Computed stresses are
compared to the shear
strength to determine the
factor of safety

Effective Stress vs. Total

Stress Analyses

Generally, effective stress

analysis is used in slope
stability
Total stress analysis used
when excess pore water
pressures are present

Critical failure surface

Validity of analysis depends
s Resisting Forces or Moments
upon choosing correct
FS
failure surface (surface of
Driving Forces or Moments
lowest factor of safety)
Trial and error problem;
Same concept used in
computer program makes
bearing capacity analysis of
search much more effective
shallow and deep
foundations

Planar Failure Surfaces

Most slope stability analyses (including

circular) are two dimensional, i.e, they

assume the slope is infinitely long with the
same profile
Infinite Slope Analysis

Failure surface is under the slope and also

parallel to it
Usually one when a weak layer is above a
hard (bedrock) layer

Planar failure analysis

Failure surface is under the slope but not
parallel to it

Infinite Slope
Only valid for purely

Purely Cohesionless Soil :

W bh
N W cos
T W sin
S N tan
FS

S N tan W cos tan tan

T W sin
W sin
tan

cohesionless soils
Only valid for the case where
the slope and the failure
surface are parallel
Only valid when water table
is either at the surface or
non-existent
Result independent of unit
weight
Slope stability degraded in
the case when water is
flowing down the slope or in
a purely horizontal direction
(earth dams)

Soil With Cohesion and Friction

and Steady-State Seepage
w h cos 2 b
U
wbh cos
cos
bc
S
N U tan
cos
cb
N U tan
S cos
FS
T
W sin
W sat bh

c h sat w cos 2 tan

sat w tan
c
FS

sat h sin cos

sat h sin cos
sat tan

For a purely cohesionless soil,

sat w tan tan

FS

sat tan
sat tan

Infinite Slope Example

Given

Infinite Slope, H =15, = 20 deg.

Soil, = 10 deg., c = 500 psf, = 110 pcf,
saturated w/seepage

Find

Factor of safety for translational failure

Solution

Substituting into the equation below, FS =

1.15

sat w tan
c
FS

sat h sin cos

sat tan

Methods of Failure Analysis for

Rotational Failure
Friction Circle

Method
Chart Solutions

Taylors Stability
Number

Non-circular failure

surfaces
Vertical Slopes

Methods of Slices
Fellenius Method
(Ordinary Method)
Bishop Method
(Simplified)
Spencer
Morganstern-Price
GLE

Friction Circle Method

Vertical Slope in Cohesive Soils

c tan c for cohesive soils
At bottom of cut :

zz 1 h and xx 0
From Mohr' s Circle :
c

1 3

2
2
Maximum Permissible Shear Stress :
h
c
2
Maximum Permissible Critical Height :
hc

2c

The critical height is an essential

concept in both slope stability,
trench safety, and retaining walls.

Weight of the sliding mass :

Vertical
Slope
in
W
2
Cohesive
Soils
Force in direction of shearing surface :
h 2 tan

Fd W cos

h 2 sin

2
Resisting force of shearing surface :
ch
Fr
cos
Equating for critical height :

h 2 sin
2
Solving :

ch

cos

2c
4c
4c

hcr

sin cos sin 2

4

Critical Height
Critical height is found between upper and

lower bounds

2c

hcr

4c

Values have also been determined between

these two
Obviously the lower bound is the most
conservative

Slope Stability Number

A useful criterion for

both vertical and angled

cuts

c
Ns
Fsh

Includes factor of safety

Typical values, vertical

slopes

Lower Bound, Ns = 0.5

Upper Bound, Ns = 0.25
Taylor Charts, Ns = 0.26

Taylor developed

charts have been

developed comparing
a minimum stability
number for a given
slope
Extended the concept
to angled slopes and
cohesionless/mixed
soils

Taylor Charts

Procedure to Use
Taylor Charts
tan
tan d
F

c
H
FsN s

Note: Murthy Taylor charts (Figures 10.16 and 10.17) are the same as those shown here, as
is method; however, book does not make it clear that the values used in the Taylor charts
must be reduced by the factor of safety before using the charts!

Taylor
Chart
Example

Fellenius Method
Developed by Wolmar Fellenius as a result

of slope failures in sensitive clays in

Sweden
First method of slices to be widely
accepted and used
Reduces the force resolution of the slope
to a statically determinate structure
Simplest method of slices; also produces
the lowest factor of safety (generally the
most conservative method)

Assumptions for Fellenius Method

Modified Bishop
Method
Same as Fellenius

Method except that it

includes normal
forces along sides of
slices
Problem becomes
statically
indeterminate as a
result of this and
requires an iterative
solution
Results tend to result
in higher factors of
safety than the
Fellenius method

Example Using Bishop's Method

Use of Computer Software

Automates many of the processes that are required for

slope analysis
Eliminates the need for iterative solutions
Enables running multiple cases and varying parameters
without difficulty

Other Types of Rotational

Analysis
Spencer
Assumes forces on the sides of the slices
are parallel
Solves for both moment and force equation
on slices
Morganstern-Price
Imposes normal and shear forces on the
sides of the slices
Includes water pressure effects
Both methods require equilibrium of forces

on each slice
Morganstern Rapid Drawdown Method

Morganstern Rapid Drawdown

Method
Addresses the issue of the effects of

drawdown of slopes which begin under a

body of water but are exposed as the water
level drops
Saturated/submerged slopes have reduced
strength; removing water cover reduces the
stability of the slope further
Morganstern used Bishops Method for slope
analysis; can be replicated using software

Morganstern Drawdown Example

Given: Slope
H = 10 m
L = 20 m
c = 10 kPa
= 30
= 20 kN/m3

Assume complete drawdown

from water level at top of slope
to bottom of slope

Find
Factor of Safety, using:

Morganstern
Drawdown Method
Computer Software

Solution

Morganstern Charts

c/(H) = 10/((20)(10) = 0.05

Use Figure 10.29
Since L:H = 20:10, = 2:1
Use Figure 10.29(a)
For complete drawdown, =1,
thus /H = 1
Using the chart, FS = 1.1

Software Solution

Set up software to not allow the

slip circle to pass below the
bottom of the slope
Use Bishops Method to
properly compare with charts
Water level in slope should
always be at the top of the slope
Neutral stress is at-rest stress,
usually 1 sin

Morgenstsern Drawdown Example

Solutions to Slope Stability

Problems

Other Solutions
Lightweight fill

Retaining Walls

Especially useful when space for a slope is

limited

Tieback anchors and soil nailing

Improvement of drainage
Geogrids and Mechanically Stabilized Earth

(MSE) walls

Pile Stabilised Slopes

Questions?