Rotational–translational mechanism for the upper bound stability analysis of slopes with weak interlayer

The presence of a weak interlayer has usually an adverse effect on the slope stability. However, the rotational failure mechanism in the conventional upper bound limit analysis cannot rationally describe the sliding of the failure mass along the weak interlayer. Therefore, a new failure mechanism was proposed in this study to evaluate the stability of slopes with weak interlayers using the upper bound limit analysis and the associated factor of safety was determined by the shear strength reduction technique. The new failure mechanism is comprised of rigid blocks undergoing rotational or translational movements, instead of the rotational movement in the conventional failure mechanism. It has also been extended to the stability analysis of slopes in presence of stabilizing piles and pore water pressures. Case studies were carried out on actual slopes with weak interlayers. The proposed rotational–translational failure mechanism was verified by the shear strength reduction finite element method (SSRFEM). Comparisons demonstrate the reliability of limit analysis method with the proposed rotational–translational failure mechanism for slopes with weak interlayers and therefore it can be used as a simple evaluation method for the engineering design.     

Strength reduction FEM in stability analysis of soil slopes subjected to transient unsaturated seepage

The instability of soil slopes induced by the fluctuation of water level or rainfall has received much attention in the literature recently and the failure mechanism is closely related to the change of matric suction of unsaturated soils. Such a change is basically induced by unsaturated transient seepage. The traditional approach for estimating the stability of slopes subjected to unsaturated transient seepage is based on the limit equilibrium method (LEM). The limit equilibrium approach is limited by assumptions about analysis method and failure mechanism. In order to overcome those limitations, a finite element method with shear strength reduction technique (SSRFEM) has been successfully applied to the slope stability analysis in absence of seepage. The main objective of this paper is to extend the use of the strength reduction FEM to include the effects of unsaturated transient seepage and some primary numerical results concerning the stability of an earth dam under rapid drawdown are presented. Emphasis has been given to comparison of the safety factors obtained by LEM and SSRFEM. Topics for the further research in this area are also suggested.     

非稳定渗流条件下非饱和土边坡稳定分析

大量的滑坡灾害表明, 水的作用是影响边坡失稳的重要原因,合理地评价边坡的稳定性,需考虑边坡基质吸力场的变化与水的渗流作用。通过稳定与非稳定渗流条件下的非饱和土堤算例,探讨了Bishop和Fredlund非饱和土抗剪强度公式应用于强度折减有限元法的差异,并与极限平衡法的结果进行对比。结果表明,Bishop和Fredlund非饱和土抗剪强度公式的本质是相同的,而从非稳定渗流条件下的分析结果来看,强度折减有限元法分析的安全系数与极限平衡法分析临水坡和背水坡安全系数的最小值相当接近,强度折减有限元法更适合分析边坡的整体稳定性。此外,采用Bishop强度公式可以通过用饱和度代替基质吸力参数来体现基质吸力对强度的影响,在分析饱和度较高的非饱和土边坡稳定性时较为方便。     

Analysis of soil‐structural interface behavior using three‐dimensional DEM simulations

The shear behavior at the interface between the soil and a structure is investigated at the macroscale and particle‐scale levels using a 3‐dimensional discrete element method (DEM). The macroscopic mechanical properties and microscopic quantities affected by the normalized interface roughness and the loading parameters are analyzed. The macro‐response shows that the shear strength of the interface increases as the normalized roughness of the interface increases, and stress softening and dilatancy of the soil material are observed in the tests that feature rough interfaces. The particle‐scale analysis illustrates that a localized band characterized by intense shear deformation emerges from the contact plane and gradually expands as shearing progresses before stabilizing at the residual stress state. The thickness of the localized band is affected by the normalized roughness of the interface and the normal stress, which ranges between 4 and 5 times that of the median grain diameter. A thicker localized band is formed when the soil has a rough shearing interface. After the localized band appears, the granular material structuralizes into 2 regions: the interface zone and the upper zone. The mechanical behavior in the interface zone is representative of the interface according to the local average stress analysis. Certain microscopic quantities in the interface zone are analyzed, including the coordination number and the material fabric. Shear at the interface creates an anisotropic material fabric and leads to the rotation of the major principal stress.     

Effect of combined translation and torsion on undrained uplift capacity of plate anchors: Plastic limit analysis (PLA) solution

Uplift capacity of plate anchors has been the focus of numerous studies, because anchor plates are designed for pull‐out in normal operating conditions. However, the response of plate anchors under 6‐degrees‐of‐freedom loading caused during extreme loading conditions is poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to propose a simple yet sufficiently accurate analytical solution to investigate the behavior of plate anchor under combined in‐plane translation and torsion and to evaluate its effect on the plate uplift bearing capacity. To this end, a modified plastic limit analysis (PLA) approach is introduced and compared with limit equilibrium and simplified upper bound baseline solutions. The proposed method is verified with 3‐dimensional finite element. The variables considered in this study include plate aspect ratio, plate thickness, as well as load direction and eccentricity. Results of analytical solutions indicate the insensitivity of the “shape” of the shear‐torsion yield envelope to plate thickness. This finding facilitates the use of simplified yet reasonable yield envelope for infinitely thin plate obtained from simplified PLA approach for other plate thicknesses. The “size” of the failure envelope (controlled by pure torsional and translational capacity) could be predicted fairly accurately by PLA and limit equilibrium methods. Combination of these analytical methods offers a simple yet reasonably accurate solution to describe shear‐torsion response of anchor plate. The obtained shear‐torsion yield envelope is then fitted in the generalized 6‐degrees‐of‐freedom yield surface which describes the reducing effect of moment, torsion, and planar forces on the uplift capacity of plate.     

内撑式支护的软土基坑开挖抗隆起稳定性分析

采用强度折减法有限元方法（SSRFEM）,分析了不排水条件下软土地基中内撑式排桩支护基坑开挖的抗隆起稳定性,并研究了软土不排水抗剪强度、支护结构条件、基坑尺寸对基底抗隆起的影响。研究表明,以往通常采用的极限平衡公式,对基坑开挖基底抗隆起稳定分析不能完全考虑支护结构的影响,也不能考虑基坑侧壁位移的影响,在一些条件下误差较大,而SSRFEM分析方法是求解基坑极限状态实际而自然的破坏形式,可很好地分析基底隆起稳定性。     

Interface creep behavior of grouted anchors in clayey soils: effect of soil moisture condition

This study aims at investigating the influence of moisture conditions on interface shear behavior of element-grouted anchor specimens embedded in clayey soils. The tests involved comparatively short embedment lengths and a device that was specially designed to facilitate moisture conditioning. Rapidly loaded pullout tests as well as pullout tests under sustained (creep) loading were conducted to characterize both the short-term and long-term ultimate shear strength of anchor–soil interfaces. Both values of the interface shear strength were found to decrease exponentially with increasing moisture content values, although their ratio was found to show a linearly decreasing trend with increasing moisture content. The interface shear creep response under pullout conditions was characterized by a rheological hybrid model that could be calibrated using experimental measurements obtained under increasing stress levels. The accuracy of the hybrid model was examined by evaluating the stress-dependent prediction model as well as its governing parameters. This investigation uncovers the coupled impact of soil moisture condition and external stress state on the time-dependent performance of grouted anchors embedded in clayey soils by correlating the interface shear strength with soil moisture content and associating the creep model with stress levels applied to the grout–soil interface.

     

边坡三维极限平衡法的通用形式

基于以下假定条件:(1) 稳定系数定义为材料的强度折减系数;(2) 土体为刚体,底滑面服从Mohr-Columb强度破坏准则;(3) 微条柱底部法向力dNz的作用点处于条柱底部中点;(4)滑面剪力与底滑面和xoz平面交线的夹角为。本文建立了边坡三维极限平衡法的通用形式,通过给定不同的限制条件,可分别得到三维普通条分法 、三维简化毕肖普法 、三维简化简布法 、三维Spencer法 等三维极限平衡的具体算法。     

树根桩加固边坡的稳定性分析与评价

参考树根桩应用于托换工程的设计计算方法,根据树根桩的实际特征,详细地推导了树根桩加固边坡后树根桩与土均质化复合“土体”的本构模型,研究了树根桩应用于边坡加固后的应力场、位移场的变化及边坡的稳定性情况。最后,比较了两种本构模型在评价边坡稳定性方面的优缺点,得出采用复合本构模型评价树根桩加固边坡的稳定性是完全可行的。     

Numerical and analytical observations on long and infinite slopes

Interest in the mechanics of landslides has led to renewed evaluation of the infinite slope equations, and the need for a more general framework for estimating the factor of safety of long and infinite slopes involving non‐homogeneous soil profiles. The paper describes finite element methods that demonstrate the potential for predicting failure in long slope profiles where the critical mechanism is not necessarily at the base of the soil layer. The influence of slope angle is also examined in long slopes, leading to some counter‐intuitive conclusions about the impact of slope steepness on the factor of safety. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

膨胀变形对膨胀土边坡稳定性的影响

当采用合理的强度参数时,根据常规极限平衡或极限分析方法的计算结果,很难解释一些膨胀土边坡会在极缓的坡度下发生失稳破坏的原因。事实上,由于膨胀土遇水后会发生显著的变形,在饱和区与非饱和区交界面附近会出现很大的剪应力。因此,在膨胀土边坡的稳定分析中,需要考虑这种因素的影响。根据塑性力学的上限定理,严格地导出了考虑膨胀应力作功的功能平衡方程。根据强度储备定义的安全系数即隐含在这一方程中,它可以通过迭代方法求解。边坡稳定的上限分析在数值上是利用了单元集成法来完成的。这不仅能方便地利用应力分析的成果,而且能进行滑裂面的优化,从而找到最小的安全系数。对一个坡度为1:4的膨胀土边坡的稳定计算结果表明,膨胀变形会使边坡的安全系数显著减小。当考虑膨胀时,优化得到的破坏模式是在浅层出现一个局部的滑动,它会牵动其上部的土体也相继出现局部滑动,这正好符合膨胀土滑坡时所常见的牵引性的特征。     

A two-grid search scheme for large-scale 3-D finite element analyses of slope stability

It is well known that the trial process for seeking the safety factor in the shear strength reduction finite element method (SSRFEM) is quite expensive, particularly for large 3-D slope stability analyses. The search algorithm for the safety factor is crucial to the entire solution process for the shear strength reduction finite element method, but few studies have attempted to exploit it. Among search algorithms, the commonly used bracketing and bisection search has not been fully optimised. Consequently, to improve the search scheme for the safety factor associated with the shear strength reduction finite element method, two strategies are suggested. First, a generalised bisection search algorithm is proposed to reduce the possibility of encountering non-convergence from a statistical point of view. To further improve the efficiency, a new two-grid scheme, characterised by a coarse mesh search and followed by a fine mesh search, is developed. Based on the drained or undrained analyses of the 3-D slope examples, the new search algorithm can markedly outperform the commonly used bisection search algorithms based on a single finite element mesh.     

方形平板锚抗拉承载力的大变形有限元分析

基于网格重分和改进的REP应力恢复技术,建立了三维大变形有限元方法研究拉力作用下方形平板锚与黏性土地基的相互作用。与常规的小变形有限元不同,大变形分析能够完整模拟平板锚的上拔过程,如果平板锚底面与土体始终保持接触,三维大变形计算得到的方板与圆板抗拉力相差很小;在无重土中的平板在加载初始即与土体脱离时,方板的承载力略低于圆板。大变形分析给出的立即脱离承载力系数与模型试验数据基本吻合,而小变形有限元与下限分析忽略了方形平板锚的长距离上拔过程对其抗拉力的影响,可能高估深锚的承载力。改进估计方形平板锚抗拉承载力的简化方法,方便于工程应用。     

Shaft capacity of the pre-bored grouted planted pile in dense sand

The pre-bored grouted planted pile is a new type of composite pile foundation that consists of a precast concrete pile and the surrounding cemented soil. A series of shear tests were conducted in a specific shear test apparatus to investigate the shaft capacity of the different pile–soil interfaces. The test results show that the frictional capacity of the cemented soil–sand interface is controlled mainly by the sand properties, while the strength of the cemented soil slightly influences the interface properties by affecting the normalized roughness coefficient R_n. The frictional capacity of the concrete–sand interface is similar to the frictional capacity of the cemented soil–sand interface, and the existence of mud cake layer virtually hampers the frictional properties of the interface. The maximum skin friction of the concrete–cemented soil interface increases approximately linearly with the increasing cemented soil strength, and the value of the maximum skin friction is much larger than that of the cemented soil–sand interface of identical cemented soil strength, which demonstrates the integrity of the pre-bored grouted planted pile in the load transfer process.     

软黏土中张紧式吸力锚循环承载力简化计算方法

张紧式吸力锚是一种重要的深水浮式平台基础。深水环境中,海底浅层沉积物多为饱和软黏土。软黏土中平均荷载与循环荷载共同作用下吸力锚的循环承载力对其设计至关重要。根据最佳系泊点受倾斜荷载作用下吸力锚的破坏模式,假设不同破坏区土体具有相同的平均剪应力,且平均剪应力与循环剪切强度比等于吸力锚所受静荷载与静荷载和循环荷载之和的比值。结合室内土性试验获得的饱和软黏土样不固结不排水归一化循环剪切强度随归一化平均剪应力的变化关系曲线,建立了破坏区土体不排水循环剪切强度的确定方法。对不同破坏区土体阻力进行分析,按照水平应力具有连续性这一特点,构建了上部滑动楔体破坏区与深部平面流动破坏区交界深度的计算方法,进而提出了计算吸力锚循环承载力的简化极限平衡方法。采用该方法对竖向和水平破坏模式吸力锚循环承载力模型试验结果进行了预测,预测与试验结果基本吻合,最小和最大偏差分别为0.79 %和16.08 %,平均偏差为5.74 %,可较好地反映吸力锚循环承载力随循环破坏次数增加而减小的变化关系,验证了该方法的可行性。     

基于椭球滑动体假定和三维简化JANBU法的边坡稳定分析

采用一般椭球体模拟三维土坡的滑动体,利用三维简化JANBU法计算其安全系数,该法假定各个条柱底面的滑动方向在水平面上的投影相等,借此可用一个变量来表达各个底滑面的滑动方向,简便易行。此外,综合借鉴粒子群优化算法和和声算法的优点,提出了改进的粒子群算法,并利用对2个三维土坡的最危险滑动体进行了搜索,与已有结果进行了对比分析,表明方法是可行有效的。     

考虑饱和-非饱和渗流的土坡极限分析

给出了均质土坝的下游坝坡的安全系数的计算方法。均质土坝的下游坝坡有可能会通过滑裂面发生破坏。土坝中的土坡通常处于非饱和状态。非饱和土坡的安全系数计算需要考虑吸力对抗剪强度的贡献以及土坡中的非饱和渗流。给出处于饱和-非饱和渗流状态下的土坡的安全系数,有助于评价均质土坝的安全系数。下游坝坡的安全系数计算方法有：极限平衡法、上限解法和下限解法,该算法适用于非饱和土坡,且是在饱和土坡安全系数的计算方法上修正得到的。算例中非饱和土坡安全系数的计算考虑了吸力对抗剪强度的贡献。考虑非饱和渗流理论的土坡安全系数计算方法通常更加接近现场实际情况,并且对于同一坝坡,考虑非饱和渗流计算出的土坡安全系数要比饱和渗流理论计算出的安全系数大。     

The effect of pressure-grouted soil nails on the stability of weathered soil slopes

Pressure-grouted soil nails have been increasingly used for stabilizing slopes. The pullout resistance of a soil nail is the main factor for reinforcing the slope stability. In this study, a two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element model is developed to simulate the pullout behavior of a pressure-grouted soil nail. This model is verified with field pullout tests result of a pressure-grouted soil nails by comparing with gravity-grouted soil nails. Based on the analysis, a three-dimensional finite element model is proposed for stability analysis of a slope reinforced with pressure-grouted soil nails using the shear strength reduction method. A series of numerical slope stability analyses for a slope composed of weathered soil are performed to investigate the effects of grouting pressure on the slope stability and the behavior of the soil nails. Special attention is given to the installation effect of a pressure-grouted soil nails. It is found from the result of this study that the pressure-grouted soil nails increase the safety factor by fifty percent in a slope by increasing the stiffness of the nailed slope system. Numerical analysis results confirm the fact that the pullout resistance of a soil nail is the main factor for stabilizing slopes rather than the shear resistance of the soil nail.     

Cauchy problem of three‐dimensional critical slip surfaces of slopes

Using the continuum‐based finite element approach in conjunction with the strength reduction technique, one can easily find out the factor of safety of a slope with rather high precision, but will encounter some obstacles in the accurate location of the corresponding three‐dimensional critical slip surface (CSS). On the basis of the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion and the stress field in the limit equilibrium state of the slope, it is deduced that the three‐dimensional CSS is the solution of the Cauchy problem of a quasi‐linear partial differential equation (PDE) of first order. By means of the method of characteristics for the problem, the three‐dimensional CSS that may take any shape can be determined without the specification of its geometry. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

非均质与各向异性黏土基坑抗隆起稳定分析

经典的Prandtl 机构不能很好地反映支护结构入土深度的影响,也不能反映土体强度非均质和各向异性的影响。根据塑性极限分析上限定理,基于修正的Prandtl机构,推导了既可以合理反映支护结构入土深度影响,又可以反映土体强度非均质和各向异性特性的基坑抗隆起稳定的上限解公式,同时基于商业化程序的二次开发,建立了可以考虑土体强度非均质和各向异性影响的强度折减弹塑性有限元方法。通过提出的修正Prandtl机构上限解与强度折减有限元方法以及多块体上限解的对比,验证了修正机构上限解以及强度折减有限元法的合理性和可行性,最后讨论了非均质系数、各向异性系数、支护机构入土深度等因素对基坑抗隆起稳定性的影响,并通过了实例的验证,相关结论可供工程参考。