CREEP AND FAILURE OF SLOPES IN CLAYS

The accumulated experience on slope stability is reviewed with due consideration of the time-dependent behaviour of natural clays prior to failure. A consistent picture of the behaviour of both man-made and natural slopes is obtained, which applies to soft as well as stiff clays, in an intact or a fissured state. In all cases, creep deformations develop prior to failure, which can be used as an indicator of incipient failure. The strength mobilized at failure can be theoretically defined in a qualitative manner: it is intermediate to the critical state strength and the time-dependent limit state of the clay. Quantitatively, this strength is represented by the phi value corresponding to the critical state and by an empirical cohesive term in the order of 4-15 kpa in intact clays and of 0-2 kpa in fissured clays; these values apply to both cuttings and natural slopes. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  National Research Council of Canada

  1200 Montreal Road
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada  K1A 0R6
• Authors:
  • Tavenas, F
  • LEROUEIL, S
• Publication Date: 1981-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 106-120
• Serial:
  • CANADIAN GEOTECHNICAL JOURNAL
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: National Research Council of Canada

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Clay; Creep; Deformation; Failure; Slope stability; Strength of materials
• ITRD Terms: 4177: Clay; 4732: Creep (mater); 5595: Deformation; 5520: Failure; 5783: Slope stability; 5544: Strength (mater)
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; I51: Earthworks and Soil Drainage;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00342321
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 22 1981 12:00AM