Slope Failure Surface Using Finite Element Method

  • Published : 1999.06.01

Abstract

In limit equilibrium methods(LEM), all methods employ the same definition of the safety factor as a ratio of the shear strength of the soil to the shear stress required for equilibrium, employing certain assumptions with regard to equilibrium. In addition, in the conventional finite element method of analysis, the minimum safety factor is obtained assuming certain slip surfaces after the state of stress are found. Although the stress states are obtained from the finite element method(FEM), the slope stability analysis follows the conventional method that assumes a potential slip surface. In this study, a slope stability analysis based on FEM is developed to locate the slip surface by tracking the weakest points in the slope based on the local safety factor considering the magnitude and direction of the shear stresses. It has also been applied to be compared with the slip surfaces predicted by LEM. A computer program has been developed to draw contour lines of the local safety factors automatically. This method is illustrated through a simple hypothetical slope, a natural soil slope, and a dam slope. The developed method matches very well with the conventional LEM methods, with slightly lower global safety factors.

사면안정해석을 수행하기 위하여 많이 사용하는 한계평형방법은 일정한 가정을 하여 안전율을 평형에 필요한 응력과 흙의 전단강도의 비로 정의하여 대상사면의 안전율을 구한다. 유한요소법을 이용한 사면안정해석방법은 응력상태를 유한요소법으로 구한 후 원호나 대수나선형등의 일정한 모양의 사면 파괴선을 가정하여 반복적으로 최소안전율을 구한다. 본 연구에서는 유한요소법을 이용한 사면안정해석방법을 개발하여 사면의 가장 취약한 부분을 따라 파괴선이 발생하도록 하였다. 이것은 요소내의 국부안전율과 파괴각을 고려하여 사면파괴선을 자동적으로 구할 수 있도록 함으로써 가능한데 이 방법은 임의의 파괴선을 가정할 필요가 없으며 절편에 작용하는 힘에 대하여 가정을 할 필요가 없고 임의의 모양의 파괴선을 구할 수 있는 장점이 있다. 본 연구에서는 개발된 해석방법을 검증하기 위하여 가상의 사면, 자연사면, 그리고 댐사면에 적용하여 실무에서 많이 사용하는 한계평형방법 프로그램인 STABL5M과 SLOPE/W과 비교 평가하였다.

Keywords

References

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