Weakly expansive soil slopes are known sites of shallow landslides. In this study, soil samples of a natural slope in Zhenjiang, China, were tested by direct shear test during wet-dry cycles, and shear strength characteristics of weakly expansive soil under different wet-dry cycles were studied. The shallow stability analysis method of weakly expansive soil slopes was proposed for this analysis, which takes into consideration the influence of fissures. More than 60 two-dimensional weakly expansive soil slope stability analyses were performed using the strength reduction limit analysis method. The effects of fissure depths and slope angles on lower and upper limit safety factors and failure surfaces were discussed in detail. The results showed that the lower and upper limit safety factors decreased under different fissure depths and slope angles with the increase in wet-dry cycles. The sliding surfaces of weakly expansive soil slopes were all located at the layer with fully developed fissures.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
J. Xiao, H. P. Yang, J. H. Zhang, and X. Y. Tang, “Surficial failure of expansive soil cutting slope and its flexible support treatment technology,” Adv. Civ. Eng., 1-13 (2018).
P. He, S. C. Li, J. Xiao, Q. Q. Zhang, F. Xu, and J. Zhang, “Shallow sliding failure prediction model of expansive soil slope based on Gaussian process theory and its engineering application,” KSCE J. Civ. Eng., 22(5),1709-1719 (2018).
J. Xiao, H. P. Yang, J. H. Zhang, and X. Y. Tang, “Properties of drained shear strength of expansive soil considering low stresses and its influencing factors,” Int. J. Civ. Eng., 16, 1389-1398 (2018).
A. Gens and E. E. Alonso, “A framework for the behaviour of unsaturated expansive clays,” Can. Geotech. J., 29(6),1013-1032 (1992).
L. T. Zhan and C. W. W. Ng, “Shear strength characteristic of an unsaturated expansive clay,” Can. Geotech. J., 43(7),751-763 (2006).
C. W. W. Ng and L. T. Zhan, “Comparative study of rainfall infiltration into a bare and a grassed unsaturated expansive soil slope,” Soils Found., 47(2), 207-217(2007).
S. Fityus and O. Buzzi, “The place of expansive clays in the framework of unsaturated soil mechanics,” Appl. Clay Sci., 43, 150-155 (2009).
L. T. Zhan, R. Chen, and C. W. W. Ng, “Wetting-induced softening behavior of an unsaturated expansive clay,” Landslides, 11(6),1051-1061 (2014).
D. A. Sun, W. J. Sun, and L. Xiang, “Effect of degree of saturation on mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils and its elasto-plastic simulation,” Comput. Geotech., 37(5),678-688 (2010).
C. W. W. Ng, L. T. Zhan, C. G. Bao, and B. W. Gong, “Performance of an unsaturated expansive soil slope subjected to artificial rainfall infiltration,” Geotechnique, 53(2),143-157 (2003).
M. S. Khan, S. Hossain, A. Ahmed, and M. Faysal, “Investigation of a shallow slope failure on expansive clay in Texas,” Eng. Geol., 219,118-129 (2017).
H. T. Jiang, B. J. Wang, H. I. Inyang, J. Liu, K. Gu, and B. Shi, “Role of expansive soil and topography on slope failure and its countermeasure, Yun County, China,” Eng. Geol., 152,155-161 (2013).
J. Y. Zhai and X. Y. Cai, “Strength characteristics and slope stability of expansive soil from Pingdingshan, China,” Adv. Mater. Sci. Eng., 1-7 (2018).
J. L. Zheng, R. Zhang, and H. P. Yang, “Highway subgrade construction in expansive soil areas,” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 21(4),154-162 (2009).
H. P. Yang, X. Y. Tang, X. Z. Wang, J. Xiao, and X. Ni. “Shear strength of expansive soils under wet-dry cycles with loading,” Rock Soil Mech. (China), 39(7),2311-2317 (2018).
S. W. Liao, Expensive Soil and Railway Subgrade Engineering, China Railway Publishing House, Beijing (1984).
Z. Z. Yin and J. P. Yuan, Characteristics of Expansive Soil and Slope Stability, China Science Press, Beijing (2018).
K. Krabbenhoft and A. V. Lyamin, “Strength reduction finite-element limit analysis,” Geotechnique Letters, 5, 250-253 (2015).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Translated from Osnovaniya, Fundamenty i Mekhanika Gruntov, No. 6, November-December, 2021.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, S., Cai, G., Jiang, P. et al. Shallow Sliding Failure Analysis of Weakly Expansive Soil Slope during Wet-Dry Cycles. Soil Mech Found Eng 58, 445–452 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11204-022-09765-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11204-022-09765-z