Geotechnical Engineering Fundamentals: Slope Stability

This webinar is part of a three-part Web Series: Geotechnical Engineering Fundamentals.

• Basic Soil Mechanics Concepts
• Water in Soils (Permeability and Seepage)
• Slope Stability

You can register for any of these courses or the series and save 20%.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Understand the forces and activities that provoke slope failures
• Understand the factors controlling the stability of slopes.
• Estimate the stability of slopes.
• Appreciate the role of different slope stabilization techniques in slope stability.

Description

Many geotechnical structures (e.g., dams, levees, highways, canals and excavations) are constructed by sloping the lateral faces of the soil, as building slopes is generally less expensive than constructing walls. Failure of natural slopes (landslides) and man-made slopes have resulted in the loss of life, destruction, economic losses, and environmental damage.

This lecture aims at understanding the mechanisms controlling the stability of slopes, analyzing the strength of slopes against any potential failure, and developing stabilization techniques to stabilize unstable slopes.

All key concepts will be explained, and emphasis will be placed on the practical application of the information provided.

Course Outline

• Shear strength of soils
• Factors controlling slope instability
• Slope stability analysis (hand calculation and available programs)
• Slope stabilization techniques

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for:

Those who deal with construction-related geotechnical engineering issues or need to build background on slope stability analyses & design, including:

• Civil, Environmental & Transportation engineers/Technicians
• Geologists, city & public works officials/planners

Day I

Review of Soil Mechanics Concepts

• Basic soil mechanics concepts, index properties of soil, stress in soil
• Flow of water in soil and its engineering consequences, steady-state seepage
• Failure in soil, shear strength properties of soil

Subsurface Investigation

• Purpose and scope
• Site investigation techniques, geophysical explorations
• Geotechnical drilling, soil sampling, field tests, lab testing
• Interpretation of geotechnical reports

Slope Stability analysis

• Modes of slope failure
• Factors affecting stability of a slope
• Basic design considerations
• Loading conditions: steady-state seepage, sudden drawdown stability
• Theory of stability analysis
• Common slope stability analysis techniques (hand calculation)
• Use of computer program for slope stability analysis
• Stability during earthquakes

Day II

Design Criteria for Embankment Dams

• General design criteria
• Seepage analysis and piping
• Upstream and downstream slope design
• Drawdown stability
• Case studies (hydraulic embankments and tailing dams)

Review of Slope Stabilization Techniques

• Techniques increasing shear strength of slope materials
• Techniques decreasing shear stress in slope
• Stabilization of rock slopes
• Case studies (slope stability analysis and stabilization methods)

Use of Retaining Structures for Slope Stabilization

• Lateral earth pressure
• Selection of proper retaining structure
• Rigid retaining walls for slope stabilization
• Flexible retaining structures for excavation stability
• Geosynthetic walls for slope stabilization

Questions and Answers and Feedback to Participants on Achievement of Learning Outcomes

Concluding Remarks and Final Adjournment