TY - JOUR
T1 - Stability analysis of complex soil slopes using limit analysis
AU - Kim, Jongmin
AU - Salgado, Rodrigo
AU - Lee, Junhwan
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2002/7
Y1 - 2002/7
N2 - The limit equilibrium method is commonly used for slope stability analysis. Limit equilibrium solutions, however, are not rigorous because neither static nor kinematic admissibility conditions are satisfied. Limit analysis takes advantage of the lower- and upper-bound theorems of plasticity theory to provide rigorous bounds on the true solution of a stability problem. In this study, finite- element models are used to construct both statically admissible stress fields for lower-bound analysis and kinematically admissible velocity fields for upper-bound analysis of soil slopes. While limit analysis of relatively simple slopes, typically homogeneous and of simple geometry, has been done previously, limit analysis of slopes with complex geometries, soil profiles, and groundwater patterns could not be effectively done in the past. In this paper, the theoretical basis and procedure for limit analysis of such slopes is presented. Various examples of slopes are selected from the literature and analyzed using both limit equilibrium and limit analysis. Factors of safety from limit equilibrium and limit analysis are compared. A comparison is also made, for each example, between the critical slip surfaces from limit equilibrium with the velocity field and plastic zone from the upper-bound solution and with the stress field from the lower-bound solution.
AB - The limit equilibrium method is commonly used for slope stability analysis. Limit equilibrium solutions, however, are not rigorous because neither static nor kinematic admissibility conditions are satisfied. Limit analysis takes advantage of the lower- and upper-bound theorems of plasticity theory to provide rigorous bounds on the true solution of a stability problem. In this study, finite- element models are used to construct both statically admissible stress fields for lower-bound analysis and kinematically admissible velocity fields for upper-bound analysis of soil slopes. While limit analysis of relatively simple slopes, typically homogeneous and of simple geometry, has been done previously, limit analysis of slopes with complex geometries, soil profiles, and groundwater patterns could not be effectively done in the past. In this paper, the theoretical basis and procedure for limit analysis of such slopes is presented. Various examples of slopes are selected from the literature and analyzed using both limit equilibrium and limit analysis. Factors of safety from limit equilibrium and limit analysis are compared. A comparison is also made, for each example, between the critical slip surfaces from limit equilibrium with the velocity field and plastic zone from the upper-bound solution and with the stress field from the lower-bound solution.
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U2 - 10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2002)128:7(546)
DO - 10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2002)128:7(546)
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036640155
VL - 128
SP - 546
EP - 557
JO - Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering - ASCE
JF - Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering - ASCE
SN - 1090-0241
IS - 7
ER -