A modified solution for evaluating the sliding direction and stability of 3D slopes

Area of Science:

• Geotechnical Engineering
• Earthquake Engineering
• Civil Engineering

Background:

• Assessing the stability of three-dimensional (3D) slopes is critical for preventing landslides.
• Existing analytical methods often require iterative calculations or complex numerical simulations.
• The minimum potential energy method offers a theoretical basis for stability analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an improved and efficient analytical solution for 3D slope stability analysis.
• To introduce a novel formulation for shear potential energy and incorporate the sliding direction (SD).
• To provide a non-iterative method for determining the safety factor (SF) of 3D slopes.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the equilibrium equation of landslides to calculate shear stress on the failure surface.
• Introducing a new formulation for shear potential energy based on the vector-combined direction of forces.
• Applying the minimum potential energy method to analyze 3D slope stability.

Main Results:

• The proposed method accurately predicts the safety factor (SF) and sliding direction (SD) for 3D slopes.
• Validation against classic examples shows good agreement with reference solutions and conservative results.
• Parameter investigations reveal that increased sliding direction (SD) reduces slope stability.

Conclusions:

• The developed analytical approach is accurate, efficient, and non-iterative for 3D slope stability assessment.
• It provides a valuable complementary tool for geotechnical engineers in landslide risk evaluation.
• The study highlights the significant influence of sliding direction and other parameters on slope safety.