RAINFALL-INDUCED SLOPE FAILURE CONSIDERING VARIABILITY OF SOIL PROPERTIES

Both hydraulic properties and shear strength properties of unsaturated soils can affect the stability of a soil slope during a rainstorm. The uncertainties of hydraulic property parameters for unsaturated soils and their effects on the reliability of slopes under rainfall condition have been studied recently (Chong et al., 2000; Tung & Chan, 2003). For example, Chong et al. (2000) studied the influences of the uncertainty of each parameter in the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) and the permeability function on the safety factor of unsaturated soil slopes using Monte Carlo simulations. Tung and Chan (2003) performed probabilistic analyses of rainfall infiltration and slope stability considering uncertainties in SWCCs by the Latin hypercube sampling technique. In both studies the deterministic model used is an uncoupled seepage analysis program Seep/W (Geo-slope Ltd, 2001a) and a companion slope stability analysis program Slope/W (Geo-slope Ltd, 2001b). Seep/W is formulated for conditions of constant net normal stress and non-deformable soil media. However, under real situations, the seepage and flow processes in a deformable soil are influenced by soil deformations. A coupled hydromechanical model is therefore preferred to analyse the behaviour and stability of a deformable soil slope subjected to rainfall. The objectives of this paper are to develop a coupled hydromechanical model and a finite element based slope stability program to study the behaviour and stability of deformable unsaturated soil slopes, and to illustrate their application in probabilistic study by an example of a hypothetical unsaturated soil slope considering the variability of soil properties. (A)

  • Availability:
  • Corporate Authors:

    Thomas Telford Limited

    London,   United Kingdom 
  • Authors:
    • ZHANG, L L
    • Zhang, L M
    • TANG, W H
  • Publication Date: 2005-3

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: References;
  • Pagination: p. 183-8
  • Serial:
    • GEOTECHNIQUE
    • Volume: 55
    • Issue Number: 2
    • Publisher: Thomas Telford Limited
    • ISSN: 0016-8505

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00988477
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Apr 4 2005 12:00AM