Estimating the Slope Safety Factor Using Simple Kinematically Admissible Solutions

Area of Science:

• Geotechnical Engineering
• Soil Mechanics
• Plasticity Theory

Background:

• Accurate assessment of soil and water conditions is crucial for foundation design and load transfer.
• Subsoil settlement can cause structural cracks, slope instability, and catastrophic structural failure.
• Traditional methods for slope stability analysis can be complex and computationally intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present simple plasticity theory solutions for estimating the slope safety factor.
• To evaluate the upper and lower bounds of exact solutions derived from plasticity theory.
• To compare the effectiveness of these solutions against traditional methods like the Fellenius method.

Main Methods:

• Application of plasticity theory, specifically evaluating upper and lower bounds.
• Development of kinematically admissible mechanisms based on the non-associated flow rule.
• Comparative analysis with established slope stability assessment techniques.

Main Results:

• Simple plasticity solutions provide reliable estimates for the slope safety factor.
• The proposed kinematically admissible mechanisms yield results comparable to the Fellenius method.
• The study validates the efficacy of plasticity theory in practical geotechnical applications.

Conclusions:

• Plasticity theory offers a simplified yet accurate approach to slope stability analysis.
• The developed methods provide a valuable tool for geotechnical engineers in foundation design and risk assessment.
• Further research can explore the broader application of these plasticity-based solutions in diverse soil conditions.