LECTURE
SLOPE STABILITY
Course
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Zubair Ahmed,
Phone: 03463438536
Email: [Link]@[Link]
As Per Weekly Training Program
CLASS SCHEDULE: 3rd Floor, Civil Eng. faculty room
ROOM: Open Door Policy
OFFICE HOURS: Duncan, J. M and Wright, S. G.
TEXTBOOK: (2005), Soil Strength and Slope
Stability, John Wiley & Sons
SUGGESTED BOOK:
Abramson et al. (2001), Slope Stability and Stabilization Methods, John Wiley & Sons.
Hoek, E (1981); Rock Slope Engineering, Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Landslides; Analysis and Control, Transportation Research Board Special Report 176 National Academy of Sciences.
Course Description
To equip the students with the state of the art
software dealing with Slope Stability
problems. The understanding of Land Slide,
Mudflows, Rock Slides and Rock Mechanics
as well as Preventive and Stabilization
Strategies.
Course Objectives
The purpose of this course is to
provide the students with an in-depth
knowledge and understanding of the
analysis of slope stability problems and
its remedial measures.
The course is designed so that students
1 achieve following PLOs:
Engineering Knowledge: ☐ 7 Environment and Sustainability: ☐
2 Problem Analysis: ☐ 8 Ethics: ☐
3 Design/Development of Solutions: ☑ 9 Individual and Team Work: ☐
4 Investigation: ☐ 10 Communication: ☐
5 Modern Tool Usage: ☑ 11 Project Management: ☐
6 The Engineer and Society: ☐ 12 Lifelong Learning: ☐
Course Learning Outcomes
(CLOs)
Upon completion of this course the student will be able to do
the
following: Taxonom
[Link] CLO Domain PLO
y Level
Compare different stability conditions for
analysis and outline appropriate
1 laboratory test procedures for the Cognitive 4 -
characterization soil materials with respect
to shear strength.
Design a slope using various limit
2 equilibrium procedures for slope stability Cognitive 5 3
analysis and select the most appropriate
procedure for the given set of
condition.
Evaluate slope stability of a given slope
using different limit equilibrium (LE) and
3 Finite Element (FE) software and Cognitive 6 5
recommend economical solution in order to
improve slope stability.
Course outline
Topics Sections Covered/Reading Assignment
1 Introduction
2 Slope Instability
3 Types of Slope Instability
4 Examples and Causes of Slope Failures
5 Soil Mechanics Principals
6 Stability Conditions for Analysis
7 Shear Strengths of Soils and Municipal Solids Wastes (MSW)
8 Geotechnical Behavior Models
9 Geotechnical Behavior Models
10 Analysis Methods
11 Analysis Methods-2
12 Rock Slope Stability
13 Rock Shear Strenth-1
14 Rock Shear Strenth-2
15 Rock Slope analysis
16 Slope Instability Mitigation
17 Landslide Risk Assessment
June End Semester Exam
6
Term Project /
Complex Engineering Problem (CEP)
Term Project/CEP will be prepared and
presented by group of 3-4 students
Each group will submit term project/CEP in
binded form in standard format
Each group may be asked to deliver a
presentation in front of class prepared on power
point
In that case, 50% marks will be for presentation
It will be appreciated that each group will work
on term paper/CEP during whole semester
Term Project
Use any of the following software in the term
project/CEP
ROCSCIENCE-SLIDE
ROCSCIENCE-PHASE 2
PLAXIS 2D
FLAC 2D
Term Project
Slope Stability Analysis of Jhika Gali Land Slide using any Software
Slope Stabilization Methods
Slope stability study of KKH using any Software
Seismic Slope Stability
Comparison between deterministic and probabilistic slope stability
analysis
Geotechnical Investigations for Slope Stability Study of a Highway
Slope stabilization using Hydro-seeding
Slope stabilization by Geogrid
Slope Stabilization with soil nailing
Any other relevant topic of your choice
Schedule for Term Papers
LANDMARK DEADLINE /
NO LATER THAN
Proposal 4th
Wee
Progress Report # 1 k
7th Week
Progress Report # 10th Week
2 Progress Report 13th Week
# 3 16th Week
Draft Paper 17th Week
Final 17th and 18th
Week
Paper
Grade
ITEM Distribution
No MARKS
(%)
Quizzes* 3-4 5’-10
Assignments^ 3-4 5-
10’
Term Project 1 5’-10
OHT 2-3
30
Final Exam 1
50
Policy
Attendance
Shortage
Within 5 minutes
Assignment Policy
Within due date
No/reduced grading for copying
Late assignments may not be
marked
Individual Laboratory work
Cell phones/texting
Course outline
Topics Sections Covered/Reading Assignment
1 Introduction
2 Slope Instability
3 Types of Slope Instability
4 Examples and Causes of Slope Failures
5 Soil Mechanics principals
6 Stability Conditions for Analysis
7 Shear Strengths of Soils and Municipal Solids Wastes (MSW)
8 Geotechnical Behavior Models
9 Geotechnical Behavior Models
10 Analysis Methods
11 Analysis Methods-2
12 Rock Slope Stability
13 Rock Shear Strenth-1
14 Rock Shear Strenth-2
15 lecture13- Rock Slope analysis
16 Slope Instability Mitigation
17 Landslide Risk Assessment
June End Semester Exam
13
Introduction
Despite improvements in recognition, prediction
and mitigation measure, natural landslides and
engineered slope failures still exact a heavy social,
economic and environmental toll.
Introduction
Throughout the world, valleys in
mountainous regions have
experienced accelerated economic
development in response to
general population growth and
associated demands for increased
mining, forestry and agriculture
activity
About 50,000 people were killed in
mudslides in V enezuela between 1999-
2000
Introduction
Economic growth has
demanded expansion of transportation
and communication facilities
The short history of extensive
human development in many
regions, however, makes the
evaluation of potential landslides
hazards and appropriate counter
measures very difficult
Rain triggered flooding and
landslides in the Alps resulted in 37
deaths 450 million US$ in damage
during October 2000
Introduction
Duncan, J. M and Wright, S. G. (2005), Soil Strength and
Slope Stability, John Wiley & Sons.
Why Select this book ?
Introduction
Advances in geotech vs challenges
Cases when geological and soil conditions
evaluated using good practices but still
new surprises
Waco Dam
Oct 1961-Construction disrupted
Slide in 1500 ft embankment on pepper shale
Heavily OC stiff fissured clay
Pepper shale uplifted to surface bounded by two fault
zones
crossing axis of dam
No movement beyond fault boundaries
Section degraded to 40 ft
USACE conducted investigation
Strength along horizontal planes <40% of vertical specimen
Conventional testing was safe
Conventional testing for stiff fissured clay may be
misleadin
Introduction
Introduction
Under water slope in San Francisco bay
250 ft long and 90 ft high slope failed
Failure entirely in San Francisco Bay Mud
Much studied highly plastic marine clay
Considerable experience foe 1:1 slope
Thorough investigation led to steeper slope in project
Computed FS=1.17 but conditions well known and understood
Strength mobilized in field after weeks < < quick loading in
lab
Improvement in one aspect led to failure
Introduction
Summar
Most
y
important lessons from experience
Often experience of failures
Semi empirical methods based on experience, should not
count on improving methods by altering only one part
Don’t expect, no more to learn.
Waco Dam- Conventional methods insufficient to
estimate strength of pepper shale
