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Geomechanics and Engineering
  Volume 23, Number 3, November10 2020 , pages 289-300
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/gae.2020.23.3.289
 


Strain-based stability analysis of locally loaded slopes under variable conditions
Jia-Chen Wang, Hong-Hu Zhu, Bin Shi and Ankit Garg

 
Abstract
    With the rapid development of the distributed strain sensing (DSS) technology, the strain becomes an alternative monitoring parameter to analyze slope stability conditions. Previous studies reveal that the horizontal strain measurements can be used to evaluate the deformation pattern and failure mechanism of soil slopes, but they fail to consider various influential factors. Regarding the horizontal strain as a key parameter, this study aims to investigate the stability condition of a locally loaded slope by adopting the variable-controlling method and conducting a strength reduction finite element analysis. The strain distributions and factors of safety in different conditions, such as slope ratio, soil strength parameters and loading locations, are investigated. The results demonstrate that the soil strain distribution is closely related to the slope stability condition. As the slope ratio increases, more tensile strains accumulate in the slope mass under surcharge loading. The cohesion and the friction angle of soil have exponential relationships with the strain parameters. They also display close relationships with the factors of safety. With an increasing distance from the slope edge to the loading position, the transition from slope instability to ultimate bearing capacity failure can be illustrated from the strain perspective.
 
Key Words
    soil strain; slope stability; finite element analysis (FEA); strength reduction method (SRM)
 
Address
Jia-Chen Wang and Bin Shi: School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China

Hong-Hu Zhu: 1.) School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
2.) Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface Processes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China

Ankit Garg: 1.) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
2.) Guangdong Engineering Center for Structure Safety and Health Monitoring, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
 

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