Stochastic stability analysis of a test excavation involving spatially variable subsoil

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 1074-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Jie Wang ◽  
Paul Chiasson

A stochastic slope stability analysis method is proposed to investigate the short-term stability of unsupported excavation works in a soft clay deposit having spatially variable properties. Spatial variability of undrained shear strength is modelled by a stochastic model that is the sum of a trend component and a fluctuation component. The undrained shear strength trend, which is also spatially variable, is modelled by kriging or a random function. Slope stability analyses are performed on the stochastic soft clay model to investigate the contribution of spatial variability of undrained shear strength to a disagreement among high factors of safety computed from deterministic methods for slopes that have failed. Probabilities of failure as computed from the stochastic analyses give a better assessment of failure potential. Probability of failure values also correlate with time delay before failure. This phenomenon may be related to progressive failure or creep and to pore pressure dissipation with time.Key words: slope stability analysis, failure probability, spatial variability, stochastic modelling, geostatistics, vane tests, sensitive clay.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Kassou ◽  
J. Ben Bouziyane ◽  
A. Ghafiri ◽  
A. Sabihi

The overloads of structures or embankments built on clayey soft ground are generally applied gradually, respecting a specific phasing. This phasing on construction allows the undrained shear strength of clay increasing over consolidation in order to avoid the risk of collapse during loading. In this work, the undrained shear strength of clay over the consolidation was estimated following SHANSEP method of which parameters proposed by eight researchers have been employed, as well as the slope stability analysis of embankments on soft soils during staged construction. Assessment of factor of safety for slope stability was conducted basing on the Bishop method. Additionally, the variations of undrained shear strength and factor of safety were presented. In order to validate the methods discussed in this study, slope stability analysis of five embankments constructed on clayey soft soils improved by the vertical drain technique in a high-speed railway construction project in Morocco was performed. For these embankments, field measurements about lateral displacement are presented.  It was found that some of the adopted methods is in a good agreement with field measurements. Hence, generalization of these methods to many soft ground cases can be proposed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document