Pile reinforcement mechanism of soil slopes

Stabilizing piles are widely used as an effective and economic reinforcement approach for slopes. Reasonable designs of pile reinforcement depend on the understanding of reinforcement mechanism of slopes. A series of centrifuge model tests were conducted on the pile-reinforced slopes and corresponding unreinforced slopes under self-weight and vertical loading conditions. The deformation of the slope was measured using image-based analysis and employed to investigate the pile reinforcement mechanism. The test results showed that the piles significantly reduced the deformation and changed the deformation distribution of the slope, and prevented the failure occurred in the unreinforced slope. The pile influence zone was determined according to the inflection points on the distribution curves of horizontal displacement, which comprehensively described the features of the pile–slope interaction and the characteristics of reinforced slopes. The concepts of anti-shear effect and compression effect were proposed to quantitatively describe the restriction features of the piles on the deformation of the slope, namely the reduction in the shear deformation and the increase in the compression deformation, respectively. The pile reinforcement effect mainly occurred in the pile influence zone and decreased with increasing distance from the piles. There was a dominated compression effect in the vicinities of the piles. The compression effect developed upwards in the slope with a transmission to the anti-shear effect. The anti-shear effect became significantly dominated near the slip surface and prevented the failure that occurred in the unreinforced slope.     

Investigation on failure mechanism of nailed soil slopes under surcharge loading: testing and analysis

This paper presents the laboratory test results of nailed soil slopes to study the behaviour of reinforced slopes under surcharge load. Tests were conducted on nailed soil slopes of three different slope angles (β = 30°, 45°and 60°) and nail inclinations (i = 0°, 15° and 30°). Each slope is reinforced with a number of hollow aluminium nails placed in three rows. The failure response, load-settlement, nail forces at the centre of nails and the distribution of nail forces along the length are examined during the tests. The numerical simulation of the model tests is performed by a 3-D finite element program. The numerical results are found in agreement to the corresponding experimental results. It is observed that the nails inclined at 0° to the horizontal give the maximum improvement in the load carrying capacity of the slopes followed closely by the 15° nail inclination. The maximum nail forces are observed in the topmost row of nails and decreases with the depth. The distribution of the nail forces along the nail are also found to be varying with respect to the failure surface of the slopes.     

Block reinforcement behavior and mechanism of soil slopes

In recent years, blocks created by pressure grouting of cement into soil were used to reinforce slopes by targeting specific weak areas. A clear understanding of the block reinforcement mechanism is essential for the accurate evaluation of the stability of block-reinforced slopes and reasonable design of block layouts. A series of centrifuge model tests was conducted to investigate the bearing capacity and the full deformation and failure behavior of block-reinforced slopes, with a focus on the influence of block layouts on the reinforcement effect. A block reinforcement with a reasonable layout was confirmed to increase the stiffness and the ultimate bearing capacity of the slope. The block reinforcement significantly changed the failure mode to the complex disturbance and destruction from slippage failure in an unreinforced slope. The block reinforcement restrained the deformation localization around the blocks and thus prevented the development of the coupling effect between the deformation localization process and the failure process in an unreinforced slope during loading. Such a reinforcement mechanism could be used to explain why the block reinforcement increased the bearing capacity and changed the failure mode of the slope. The blocks exhibited significant motion along with the development of deformation localization in the slope during loading. The block reinforcement effect was significantly affected by the rotation of blocks, which was determined by the block layout.     

Assessment of failure susceptibility of soil slopes using fuzzy logic

Generally, the process of land occupation in urban areas involves spaces that are not suitable for construction. In most cases these areas are subject to landslides. Therefore it is mister the development of models to evaluate the susceptibility of occurrence of landslides in these areas. For this, Fuzzy Logic is used herein for modeling such areas where landslides are susceptible to occur and, therefore, a direct evaluation is important. The possibility of capturing the judgment and the modeling of linguistic variables are the main advantages of using Fuzzy Logic. These models are capable to capture the factors directly affecting the slope stability and also the inter-relationship amongst them. These factors were chosen by experts to whom a questionnaire was sent. Fuzzy Logic was then used to transform the linguistic variables into fuzzy number, allowing thus, the calculation of failure potential index (FPI). Herein the MAX-MIN Mamdani strategy for the inference of the rule base was used. This methodology has been applied to identify the susceptibility of landslides in a chaotic occupied urban area of Itaperuna City in northeastern of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where some occurrences have been reported.     

A study of the mechanism of flexural toppling failure of rock slopes

Summary The mechanism of flexural toppling failure of jointed rock slopes has been investigated through a series of centrifuge experiments conducted on models manufactured from two types of materials (brittle: a sand-gypsum mixture; and ductile: fibre-cement sheeting). The basal failure plane observed in the centrifuge models, has been found to emanate from the toe of the slope, and orient at an angle of 12 to 20° upward from the normal to the discontinuities. A theoretical model based on a limiting equilibrium approach (Aydan and Kawamoto, 1992) has been adopted to analyse the centrifuge test data. After calibration, the model was found to accurately predict the failure load for all the tests reported in this study. Using this model, a set of charts has been prepared to assist with the analysis of slopes susceptible to flexural toppling.     

On the efficient estimation of small failure probability in slopes

The random finite element method (RFEM) combines the random field theory and finite element method in the framework of Monte Carlo simulation. It has been applied to a wide range of geotechnical problems such as slope stability, bearing capacity and the consolidation of soft soils. When the RFEM was first developed, direct Monte Carlo simulation was used. If the probability of failure (p _f ) is small, the direct Monte Carlo simulation requires a large number of simulations. Subset simulation is one of most efficient variance reduction techniques for the simulation of small p _f . It has been recently proposed to use subset simulation instead of direct Monte Carlo simulation in RFEM. It is noted, however, that subset simulation requires calculation of the factor of safety (FS), while direct Monte Carlo requires only the examination of failure or non-failure. The search for the FS in RFEM could be a tedious task. For example, the search for the FS of slope stability by the strength reduction method (SRM) usually requires much more computational time than a failure or non-failure checking. In this paper, the subset simulation is combined with RFEM, but the need for the search of FS is eliminated. The value of yield function in an elastoplastic finite element analysis is used to measure the safety margin instead of the FS. Numerical experiments show that the proposed approach gives the same level of accuracy as the traditional subset simulation based on FS, but the computational time is significantly reduced. Although only examples of slope stability are given, the proposed approach will generally work for other types of geotechnical applications.     

库区陡峻土质岸坡路基塌岸预测

对山区顺直陡峻岸坡路基塌岸的预测,与普通图解法比较,采用考虑土体内聚力的图解法可有效避免解算难以收敛的问题,更为符合塌岸的真实形态。通过预测实例的分析发现：天然休止角的提高可大幅减小塌岸范围;水下磨蚀角的提高则可有效减小塌岸深度;合理调节运行水位变幅,对控制塌岸范围和深度较为理想;而通过小范围抬高公路线位来控制塌岸的效果并不明显。对塌岸影响因素的深入分析,为塌岸段路基的治理提供了合理的思路。     

岩质顺层边坡的平面滑移破坏机制分析

沿岩层层面的平面滑动破坏是顺层边坡发生最多、规模很大的一种破坏模式,根据其顺层滑移的力学机制将平面破坏分为滑移-拉裂型和水力驱动型两种类型。根据平面刚体模型,给出了滑移-拉裂型滑坡的失稳判据,即滑坡的条件为边坡高度要大于临界高度。地下水在顺层边坡后缘张裂隙和滑动面形成的渗流通道中运动时,对滑体将产生3个方面的力学作用：张裂隙静水压力、滑动面扬压力和拖曳力。根据水力-驱动型滑坡的计算分析表明,边坡后缘张裂隙充水高度直接决定了3种水压力的大小,当张裂隙充水高度达到临界值后,边坡在水压力作用下发生滑移破坏。     

震裂斜坡形成机理及变形破坏模式研究

震裂斜坡是强震作用下形成的一类分布范围广、震裂变形严重、潜在危害大的次生地质灾害,为了深入系统地分析其震裂机理及变形破坏机制模式,本文结合5.12汶川大地震造成的震裂斜坡及其破坏现象的详细调查,在对强震中的地震波效应深入分析的基础上,以双面斜坡为例,首先对震裂变形的力学机理进行了系统分析。认为强震中的体波效应将导致斜坡体处于量值和方向不断变化的拉-剪应力和反压应力的交替作用之下,其形成的拉-剪破裂效应和潜在的楔劈效应是斜坡震裂变形的重要力学因素之一。同时,面波效应将导致坡体表面处于鼓胀拉力和扭力的作用之下,是坡体表部整体震裂破碎甚至破坏的另一重要力学因素。二者共同作用均使坡体应力场处于不断的动态变化过程中,坡体(面)震裂变形甚至破坏更为严重。在此基础上,对强震中斜坡变形破坏的机制模式进行了归纳,认为主要有四种表现形式,即旋转-拉裂型、旋转-剪滑型、鼓胀-拉裂型和滑移-拉裂型。研究成果为震裂斜坡稳定性分析以及灾后重建和防灾减灾提供了有力参考。     

Integrated analysis of a coupled mechanism for the failure processes of pile-reinforced slopes

A series of centrifuge model tests was conducted to investigate the failure mechanism of pile-reinforced slopes under self-weight loading and vertical loading conditions. An integrated analysis method was proposed based on the image-based measurement results of the displacement of the slope in the tests. The failure process of a pile-reinforced slope was quantified based on the measured deformation process over the entire slope, which was shown to depend primarily on the loading conditions. The deformation localisation was discovered in the slope during loading and was effectively described using a newly introduced index, the Diversity Factor of Displacement (DFD). The deformation localisation of the slope developed and caused the progressive formation of the slip surface. At the same time, a local failure at a point on the slip surface resulted in new deformation localisation, and the influence expanded with the centre of the failure point and waned with increasing distance from the failure point. The deformation localisation process and the deformation-failure process of the piles interacted as both cause and effect and developed alternately. The failure mechanism of the pile-reinforced slopes was used to explain the effects of several influencing factors on the bearing capacity of the reinforced slope, such as the pile spacing, pile location, and gradient of the slope.     

边坡加固中预应力锚索失效机制与失效效应研究

预应力锚索已广泛应用于边坡加固工程中,由于其承受高拉应力作用,并长期埋置于潮湿的岩土环境中,在综合因素的作用下存在失效的可能性。结合实体工程中的大量监测数据,对预应力锚固系统长期稳定性的影响因素进行了深入分析,提出了预应力锚固系统的失效机制;为了分析锚索失效效应,确定合理的处理时机,分别进行了现场卸载试验及数值模拟,研究了单锚及群锚失效效应,提出了边坡局部失稳的判据,其结果可为类似工程提供借鉴。     

顺层岩质边坡渐进破坏及失稳机理的数值模拟研究

提出了利用Lagrangian乘子网格来模拟顺层边坡层间结构面接触行为的方法,并推导了考虑接触约束的Lagrangian控制方程的弱形式及其有限元离散方程。Lagrangian乘子网格容许界面出现较大的切向滑移,较好地解决了接触问题中的高度非线性和响应不平滑性。应用以上方法对沪－蓉－西高速公路某顺层岩质高边坡进行了数值模拟分析,得到了临滑状态下的位移场、应力应变场、结构面上的接触状态、层间滑移距离以及接触摩擦力的分布规律。数值模拟结果表明,顺层岩质边坡的破坏是一个渐进的过程,由最初的层间错动,发展为顺层蠕滑,最后在坡底剪出而破坏;其破坏型式由最初的顺层滑动逐步向溃曲破坏转化。     

Probabilistic failure analysis of infinite slopes under random rainfall processes and spatially variable soil

Rainfall-induced landslides occur during or immediately after rainfall events in which the pore water pressure builds up, leading to shallow slope failure. Thereby, low permeability layers result in high gradients in pore water pressure. The spatial variability of the soil permeability influences the probability such low permeability layers, and hence the probability of slope failure. In this paper, we investigate the influence of the vertical variability of soil permeability on the slope reliability, accounting for the randomness of rainfall processes. We model the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil with a one-dimensional random field. The random rainfall events are characterised by their duration and intensity and are modelled through self-similar random processes. The transient infiltration process is represented by Richards equation, which is evaluated numerically. The reliability analysis of the infinite slope is based on the factor of safety concept for evaluating slope stability. To cope with the large number of random variables arising from the discretization of the random field and the rainfall process, we evaluate the slope reliability through Subset Simulation, which is an adaptive Monte Carlo method known to be especially efficient for reliability analysis of such high-dimensional problems. Numerical investigations show higher probability of slope failure with increased spatial variability of the saturated hydraulic conductivity and with more uniform rainfall patterns.     

On integration of a cyclic soil plasticity model

Performance of three classes of explicit and implicit time‐stepping integrators is assessed for a cyclic plasticity constitutive model for sands. The model is representative of an important class of cyclic plasticity models for soils and includes both isotropic and nonlinear kinematic hardening. The implicit algorithm is based on the closest point projection method and the explicit algorithm follows a cutting‐plane integration procedure. A sub‐stepping technique was also implemented. The performance of these algorithms is assessed through a series of numerical simulations ranging from simulations of laboratory tests (such as triaxial and bi‐axial compression, direct shear, and cyclic triaxial tests) to the analysis of a typical boundary value problem of geotechnical earthquake engineering. These simulations show that the closest point projection algorithm remains stable and accurate for relatively large strain increments and for cases where the mean effective stress in a soil element reaches very small values leading to a liquefaction state. It is also shown that while the cutting plane (CP) and sub‐stepping (SS) algorithms provide high efficiency and good accuracy for small to medium size strain increments, their accuracy and efficiency deteriorate faster than the closest point projection method for large strain increments. The CP and SS algorithms also face convergence difficulties in the liquefaction analysis when the soil approaches very small mean effective stresses. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Plane failure analysis of rock slopes

Summary Hoek and Bray (1981) gave an analytical approach for plane failure analysis for rock slopes that is limited to those slopes in which the upper slope surface is horizontal and the tension crack is vertical. An analysis is presented here which can take these factors into account. It is found that varying the angle of the upper slope from 0° to 30° causes a significant reduction in the factor of safety. Varying the tension crack from vertical to 70° only has an effect when the upper slope angle is less than 20°.     

强震作用下顺层岩质斜坡动力失稳机制及启动速度研究

岩质斜坡地震稳定性评价和地震滑坡启动速度计算是边坡地震失稳防治中的难点。结合5•12四川汶川地震诱发的大型高速滑坡,重点以唐家山高速滑坡为例,提出强震作用下中陡倾顺层岩质斜坡动力失稳机制为拉裂－楔劈－滑移－剪断,并着重阐述了拉裂面形成机制、“楔劈”岩块的杠杆作用和碎屑岩块的滚动摩擦效应。对应于该失稳模式,采用弹性力学理论,推导出地震作用下顺层岩体斜坡锁固段的破坏判据和突发剪断时锁固段岩体的形变能公式。考虑锁固段岩体形变能释放的优势方向,运用能量转化原理,给出了更为合理和精确的顺层岩质滑坡突发启动速度公式,进而确定滑坡启程速度。其研究结果为滑坡灾害范围和冲击损害程度提供有效定量计算方法。     

水力作用下岩质斜坡破坏机制和稳定性分析研究现状

基于国内外研究现状和岩质滑坡案例,总结出岩质滑坡的水力致灾机制,归纳考虑水力作用下的岩质斜坡主要失稳破坏模式,评述了岩质斜坡稳定性分析方法。岩质滑坡的水力致灾机制主要由于水对滑体产生的静水压力（岩体侧面的推力、滑面的扬压力和岩体的浮力）和动水压力（向坡外的渗透力）作用。从渗流—应力耦合的角度可较全面评价水渗流对坡体稳定性的影响。斜坡的岩体结构决定了水力作用方式和坡体的失稳破坏形式,考虑水力作用下的岩质斜坡失稳破坏形式主要有：顺层滑动、平推式滑动、楔形体滑移和危岩的崩塌。对于水力作用下岩质斜坡的稳定性分析方法主要有极限平衡法、有限元强度折减法、基于断裂力学的危岩稳定性分析法和渗流—应力耦合模型分析法,其中前两种方法应用较为广泛。     

Optimum design of nailed soil slopes

In this paper, a generalized method of computer based optimum design of soil-nailed slopes is reported. A limit equilibrium formulation satisfying overall and internal equilibrium and considering the effect of tensile resistance of the reinforcement has been used in computing the stability of nailed slopes. The quantity of steel requirement for raising the factor of safety to a desired value is estimated. The location, size (length and diameter) and orientation of the nails and the location and shape of the critical shear surface have been treated as variables. The solutions have been isolated by formulating the problem as one of non-linear programming. The applicability of the developed method has been verified by comparing the predicted failure surfaces with those observed in model tests as well as in the field and also reported theoretical results.     

On the dynamics of scree slopes

SummaryOn the Dynamics of Scree Slopes It is shown that the following dynamical phenomena occur on a scree slope: Collapse because of lack of stability, rapid slides of debris material, slow sliding of large blocks, jumping and rolling of large stones, and particle-separation due to a sieving effect. The mechanisms of these phenomena are investigated in detail; it is shown that the stability and the slow sliding of blocks can be explained by soil mechanics methods, the debris slides by the law of dry friction, the rolling of stones by the laws or rolling of spheres, and the sieving effect by a theory analogous to that encountered in the filtration of suspensions through porous media.

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ZusammenfassungZur Dynamik der Schutthalden Es wird gezeigt, daß folgende dynamische Vorgänge auf einer Schutthalde stattfinden: Zusammenbruch mangels Stabilität, schnelles Rutschen von Schuttmaterial, langsames Gleiten von großen Blöcken, Hüpfen und Rollen von großen Steinen und Teilchenseparation durch einen Siebeffekt. Die Mechanismen dieser Phänomene werden im Detail untersucht; es wird gezeigt, daß die Instabilität und das langsame Gleiten von großen Blöcken durch bodenmechanische Theorien erklärt werden können; das schnelle Rutschen von Schutt durch die Gesetze der trockenen Reibung; das Rollen von Steinen durch die Rollgesetze von Kugeln und der Siebeffekt durch eine Theorie, die derjenigen der Filtration von Suspensionen durch poröse Stoffe analog ist.

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RésuméPhenomènes dynamiques d'un talus d'éboulis Les phénomènes dynamiques d'un talus d'éboulis décrits ci-après sont des glissements rapides de masses tombées d'une paroi, des glissements lents de gros blocs, de blocs qui roulent ou sautent et de la séparation des particules par effet de tamisage. Il est montré que la stabilité et le glissement lent peuvent être expliqués par les méthodes de la mécanique des sols, le glissement d'éboulis par la loi du frottement sec, le roulement de blocs par les lois de sphères roulantes et l'effet de tamisage par une théorie analogue à celle qui explique la filtration de la matière en suspension par un milieu poreux.

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Report from 22nd Geomechanic-Colloquium, October 1973, Salzburg.

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With 12 Figures