Abstract
The conventional pseudo-static approach often neglects the effect of the vertical seismic acceleration on the stability of a slope, but some analyses under plane-strain (2D) conditions show a significant effect on the slope stability. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the vertical acceleration on the safety of three-dimensional (3D) slopes. In the strict framework of limit analysis, a 3D kinematically admissible rotational failure mechanism is adopted here for 3D homogeneous slopes in frictional/cohesive soils. A set of stability charts is presented in a wide range of parameters for 3D slopes under combined horizontal and vertical seismic loading conditions. Accounting for the effects of the vertical seismic acceleration, the difference in safety factors for 3D slopes can exceed 10%, which will significantly overestimate the safety of the 3D slopes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aoi S, Kunugi T and Fujiwara H (2008), “Trampoline Effect in Extreme Ground Motion,” Science, 322(5902): 727–730.
Baker R, Shukha R, Operstein V and Frydman S (2006). “Stability Charts for Pseudo-static Slope Stability Analysis,” Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 26(9): 813–823.
Bardet JP, Oka F, Sugito M and Yashima A (1995), “Preliminary Investigation Report of the Great Hanshin Earthquake Disaster,” Department of Civil Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
Chen WF (1975), Limit Analysis and Soil Plasticity, Elsevier Science, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Chen WF and Liu XL (1990), Limit Analysis in Soil Mechanics, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Chen ZY (1992), “Random Trials Used in Determining Global Minimum Factors of Safety of Slopes,” Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 29(2): 225–233.
Chopra AK (1966), “The Importance of Vertical Component of Earthquake Motion,” Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 56(5): 1163–1175.
Gao YF, Zhang F, Lei GH and Li DY (2013), “An Extended Limit Analysis of Three-dimensional Slope Stability,” Geotechnique, 63(6): 518–524.
Lew M (1991), “Characteristics of Vertical Ground Motions Recorded during the Loma Prieta Earthquake,” Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Engineering and Soil Dynamics, St. Louis, MO, 1661–1666.
Ling HI, Leshchinsky D and Mohri Y (1997). “Soil Slopes under Combined Horizontal and Vertical Seismic Accelerations,” Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, 26(12): 1231–1241.
Ling HI, Mohri Y and Kawabata T (1999), “Seismic Analysis of Sliding Wedge: Extended Francaisculmann’s Analysis,” Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 18(5): 387–393.
Loukidis D, Bandini P and Salgado R (2003). “Stability of Seismically Loaded Slopes Using Limit Analysis,” Geotechnique, 53(5): 463–479.
Michalowski RL (2002), “Stability Charts for Uniform Slopes,” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 128(4): 351–355.
Michalowski RL and Drescher A (2009), “Threedimensional Stability of Slopes and Excavations,” Geotechnique, 59(10): 839–850.
Michalowski RL and Martel T (2011), “Stability Charts for 3D Failures of Steep Slopes Subjected to Seismic Excitation,” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 137(2): 183–189.
Michalowski RL and You LZ (2000), “Displacements of Reinforced Slopes Subjected to Seismic Loads.” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 126(8): 685–694.
Shukha R and Baker R (2008), “Design Implications of the Vertical Pseudo-static Coefficient in Slope Analysis,” Computers and Geotechnics, 35(1): 86–96.
Simonelli AL and Stefano PD (2001), “Effects of Vertical Seismic Accelerations on Slope Displacements”. International Conferences on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics, 5(34): 1–6.
Stewart JP, Bray JD, Seed RB and Sitar N (1994), “Preliminary Report on the Principal Geotechnical Aspects of the January 17, Northridge Earthquake,” Report No.UCB/EERC-94/08, Earthquake Engineering Research Centre, University of California at Berkeley.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by: National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 51508160, No. 51479050 and No. 51278382; National Key Basic Research Program of China under Grant No. 2015CB057901; the Public Service Sector R&D Project of the Ministry of Water Resource of China under Grant No. 201501035-03; the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under Grant No. 2014B06814, No. 2014B33414 and No. B15020060; the 111 Project under Grant No. B13024, and the Graduate Education Innovation Project of Jiangsu Province of China under Grant No. CXZZ13_0242
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, F., Gao, Y., Wu, Y. et al. Effects of vertical seismic acceleration on 3D slope stability. Earthq. Eng. Eng. Vib. 15, 487–494 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11803-016-0338-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11803-016-0338-9