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ENCE 361
ENCE 361
Soil Mechanics
Soil Mechanics
Slope Stability
Fellenius Method
Types of Slope
Types of Slope
Failure
Failure
Types of Slope Failure
Types of Slope Failure
Methods of Failure Analysis for
Methods of Failure Analysis for
Rotational Failure
Rotational Failure
Swedish Slip Circle
Method
Methods of Slices
Fellenius Method
(Ordinary Method)
Bishop Method
(Simplified)
Spencer
Morganstern-Price
GLE
Chart Solutions Based
on Methods of Slices
Taylor
Bishop-Morganstern
Barnes
Non-circular failure
surfaces
Overview of Rotational Failure
Overview of Rotational Failure
Criteria
Criteria
Stability of a Slope in Clay
Stability of a Slope in Clay
(Swedish Slip Circle Method)
(Swedish Slip Circle Method)
Factors of Safety
Factors of Safety
Fellenius Method
Fellenius Method
Developed by Wolmar Fellenius as a result of
slope failures in sensitive clays in Sweden
First method of slices to be widely accepted
and used
Reduces the force resolution of the slope to a
statically determinate structure
Simplest method of slices; also produces the
lowest factor of safety (most conservative)
Assumptions for Fellenius
Assumptions for Fellenius
Method
Method
Side forces (shear and
compressional) are not
significant
Included Forces
Weight of the slice,
including weight of water
Resisting Shear forces at
base of slice, both those
from the cohesion of the
soil and those from
effective stress
Governing Equation for Fellenius
Governing Equation for Fellenius
Method
Method

M
resisting

M
causing
Resisting moments are
generated by the shear
strength of the soil at the
failure surface
Causing moments are
generated by the weight of
the soil, including the weight
of the water
Moments for Fellenius Method
Moments for Fellenius Method
M
causing
r W
t
sin
M
resisting
r c'l W cos tan
FS
M
resisting
M
causing
FS

c'l W cos tan

W
t
sin
Fellenius Method
Fellenius Method
Water Table Inclusion
Water Table Inclusion
FS

c'l W cos tan

W
t
sin
These weights do not include bouyancy calculations
These weights include bouyancy calculations
Example of Fellenius Method
Example of Fellenius Method
Parameters for Example
Parameters for Example
Soil Parameters
Unit Weight = 125 pcf
Cohesion = 60 psf
Internal Friction Angle
= 32
Slope
Slope = arctan (1/1.5) =
33.7
Height of slope = 20'
Circle Parameters
Radius of Failure
Circle = 30'
Centre of failure circle
is 30' above elevation
of toe
Centre of failure circle
is 4.5' to the right of the
toe of the slope
Determination of Circle Centre
Determination of Circle Centre
and Radius
and Radius
Basic Variables
Basic Variables
b1, ft. H, ft. sin alpha
1 4.5 1.6 900 -1.72 -0.03
2 3.2 4.2 1680 2.87 0.05
2A 1.8 5.8 1305 8.05 0.14
3 5 7.4 4625 14.48 0.25
4 5 9 5625 24.83 0.42
5 5 9.3 5812.5 35.45 0.58
6 4.4 8.4 4620 47.73 0.74
6A 0.6 6.7 502.5 55.08 0.82
7 3.2 3.8 1520 60.46 0.87
Slice
Number
Wdry,
lbs.
Alpha,
deg.
Dry Slope Computations
Dry Slope Computations
Factor of Safety = 17592.01/12282.95 = 1.43
b1, ft. H, ft. sin alpha
1 4.5 1.6 900 -1.72 -0.03 -27 405.18 562.13 967.31
2 3.2 4.2 1680 2.87 0.05 84 288.36 1048.47 1336.83
2A 1.8 5.8 1305 8.05 0.14 182.7 163.61 807.42 971.03
3 5 7.4 4625 14.48 0.25 1156.25 464.76 2798.25 3263.01
4 5 9 5625 24.83 0.42 2362.5 495.85 3189.85 3685.7
5 5 9.3 5812.5 35.45 0.58 3371.25 552.41 2958.73 3511.14
6 4.4 8.4 4620 47.73 0.74 3418.8 588.75 1941.75 2530.5
6A 0.6 6.7 502.5 55.08 0.82 412.05 94.35 179.72 274.07
7 3.2 3.8 1520 60.46 0.87 1322.4 584.12 468.3 1052.42
Sums 12282.95 17592.01
Slice
Number
Wdry,
lbs.
Alpha,
deg.
W sin
alpha
Cohesion
Term
Friction
Term
(Dry)
Resisting
Moment
(Dry)
Wet Slope Computations
Wet Slope Computations
Factor of Safety = 15257.09/12282.95 = 1.24
H, ft.
1
4.5 1.6 900 -1.72 -0.03 -27 405.18 562.13 967.31
0 900 562.13 967.31
2
3.2 4.2 1680 2.87 0.05 84 288.36 1048.47 1336.83
0 1680 1048.47 1336.83
2A
1.8 5.8 1305 8.05 0.14 182.7 163.61 807.42 971.03
0.45 1255 776.49 940.1
3
5 7.4 4625 14.48 0.25 1156.25 464.76 2798.25 3263.01
3.37 3575 2162.97 2627.73
4
5 9 5625 24.83 0.42 2362.5 495.85 3189.85 3685.7
4.65 4175 2367.58 2863.43
5
5 9.3 5812.5 35.45 0.58 3371.25 552.41 2958.73 3511.14
4.01 4562.5 2322.44 2874.85
6
4.4 8.4 4620 47.73 0.74 3418.8 588.75 1941.75 2530.5
1.82 4120 1731.6 2320.35
6A
0.6 6.7 502.5 55.08 0.82 412.05 94.35 179.72 274.07
0 502.5 179.72 274.07
7
3.2 3.8 1520 60.46 0.87 1322.4 584.12 468.3 1052.42
0 1520 468.3 1052.42
Sums
12282.95 17592.01
15257.09
Slice
Number
b1,
ft.
Wdry,
lbs.
Alpha,
deg.
sin
alpha
W sin
alpha
Cohesio
n Term
Friction
Term
(Dry)
Resisting
Moment
(Dry)
Phreatic
Surface,
ft.
Wet
effective
weight
Friction
Term
(Wet)
Resisting
Moment (Wet)
Wet efficive weight of slope = total weight of slope weight of water
The weight of the water = (distance from lower end of slice to water table)
(width of the slice)(unit weight of water)
Modified Bishop Method
Modified Bishop Method
Same as Fellenius Method except that it
includes normal forces along sides of slices
Problem becomes statically indeterminate as a
result of this and requires an iterative solution
Results tend to result in higher factors of
safety than the Fellenius method
Equations for Bishop's Method
Equations for Bishop's Method
Procedure for Bishop's Method
Procedure for Bishop's Method
Example Using Bishop's Method
Example Using Bishop's Method
Example Using Bishop's Method
Example Using Bishop's Method
Use of Computer Software
Use of Computer Software
Automates many of the processes that are
required for slope analysis
Eliminates the need for iterative solutions
Enables running multiple cases and varying
parameters without difficulty
Slope-W software (from Geo-Slope) available
from website
Example Case
Example Case
No Water
No Water
Table
Table
Setup of Geometry and Soil Properties
1
2
1
2 3
4 56 7
8
9
10 11
12 13
14
15
16 17
18
19 20
Fellenius
Fellenius
Method
Method
Dry Case
Dry Case
Slide Forces
Slide Forces
Fellenius Method
Fellenius Method
Slice 4 - Ordinary Method
3203.3
1451.4
2651.1
Bishop Method
Bishop Method
Dry Case
Dry Case
Bishop Slice
Bishop Slice
Slice 4 - Bishop Method
3203.3
1472.2
2874.8
1523.4
1830.5
Slope-W Setup
Slope-W Setup
Wet Case
Wet Case
1
2
1
2 3
4 56 7
8
9
10 11
12 13
14
15
16 17
18
19 20
Bishop
Bishop
Solution
Solution
Wet Case
Wet Case
Fellenius
Fellenius
Solution
Solution
Wet Case
Wet Case
Comparison of Results
Comparison of Results
Dry 1.43 1.42 - 1.5
Wet 1.24 1.15 1.3 1.3
Factors of
Safety
Fellenius
(Spreadsheet)
Fellenius
(Slope-W)
Bishop
(NAVFAC)
Bishop
(Slope-W)
Fellenius Method in Slope-W used
different centre of radius of failure
Questions?
Questions?