Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Stability of Earth Slopes

  • Chapter
Foundation Engineering Handbook

Abstract

The failure of a mass of soil in a downward and outward movement of a slope is called a slide or slope failure. Slides occur in almost every conceivable manner, slowly or suddenly, and with or without any apparent provocation. They are usually caused by excavation, by undercutting the foot of an existing slope, by a gradual disintegration of the structure of the soil, by an increase of the pore water pressure in a few exceptionally permeable layers, or by a shock that liquefies the soil.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 74.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Ajaz, A. (1978), Detection and prevention of cracking of clay cores in dams, Geotechnical Engineering, IX, No. 1, pp. 39–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alfaro, L. and Harr, M. E. (1981), Reliability of soil slopes, Transportation Research Record, 809, pp. 78–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Asaoka, A. and Athanasiou-Grivas, D. (1981), Short-term reliability of slopes under static and seismic conditions, Transportation Research Record, 809, pp. 64–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beattie, A. A. and Chau, E. P. Y. (1976), The assessment of landslides potential with recommendations for future research, Journal of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineering, February.

    Google Scholar 

  • Binnie and Partners (1977), Construction on Slopes Manual, Hong Kong.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, A. W. (1954), The use of pore pressure coefficients in practice, Geotechnique, IV, No. 4, pp. 148–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, A. W. (1955), The use of the slip circle in the stability analysis of slopes, Geotechnique, V, No. 1, pp. 7–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, A. W. and Morgenstern, N. R. (1960), Stability coefficients for earth slopes, Geotechnique, X, No. 4, pp. 129–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjerrum, L. and Kjaernsli, B. (1957), Analysis of the stability of some Norwegian natural clay slopes, Geotechnique, VII, No. 1, pp. 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cancelli, A. (1977), Residual shear strength and stability analysis of a landslide in fissured overconsolidated clays, Bulletin of the International Association of Engineering Geology, No. 16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, C. J., Yao, J. R. P., and Chen, W. F. (1983), Evaluation of seismic factor of safety of a submarine slope by limit analysis, Proc. Shanghai Symposium on Marine Geotechnology and Nearshore/ Offshore Structures, Tongji University Press/Envo Publishing Co., Inc., Bethlehem, Pa., pp. 262–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, W. F. (1970), Discussion of “Circular and logarithmic spiral slip surfaces,” by E. Spencer, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 96, No. SMI, pp. 324–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, W. F. (1975), Limit Analysis and Soil Plasticity, Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, R. H. (1986), Slope stability analysis of a waste landfill, Proc. International Symposium on Environmental Geotechnology, 1, Envo Publishing Co., Inc., Bethlehem, Pa., pp. 37–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, W. F., Giger, M. W., and Fang, H. Y. (1969), On the limit analysis of stability of slopes, Soils and Foundations, IX, No. 4, pp. 23–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, W. F. and Scawthorn, C. R. (1970), Limit analysis and limit equilibrium solutions in soil mechanics, Soils and Foundations, X, No. 3, pp. 13–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, W. F. and Giger, M. W. (1971), Limit analysis of stability of slopes, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 97, No. SM1, pp. 19–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, W. F., Snitbhan, N., and Fang, H. Y. (1975), Stability of slopes in anisotropic, nonhomogeneous soils, Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 12, No. 1, pp. 146–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiang, Y. C. (1979), Design and construction practice of slopes in Hong Kong, Proc. Seminar on Slope Stability and Landslides, Chinese Institute of Engineers, Taipei, pp. 55–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chowdhury, R. N. (1980), Landslides as natural hazards—mechanisms and uncertainties, Geotechnical Engineering, 11, No. 2, pp. 135–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chowdhury, R. N. (1978), Slope Analysis, Elsevier Publishing Co., Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Culmann, C. (1866), Die graphische Statik, Meyer and Zeller, Zürich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drucker, D. C. and Prager, W. (1952), Soil mechanics. and plastic analysis or limit design, Quarterly of Applied Mathematics, 10, pp. 157–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dvirnoff, A. H. and Munion, D. W. (1986), Stability failure of a sanitary landfill, Proc. International Symposium on Environmental Geotechnology, 1, Envo Publishing Co., Inc., Bethlehem, Pa., pp. 25–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, W. and Hartman, V. B. (1967), Dynamic soil strength and slope stability, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 93, No. SM4, pp. 355–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang, H. Y. and Hirst, T. J. (1970), Application of Plasticity theory to slope stability problems, Highway Research Record No. 323, pp. 26-38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang, H. Y., Snitbhan, N., and Chen, W. F. (1975), Discussion on stability for earth embankments, Transportation Research Record, 548, pp. 12–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang, H. Y., Slutter, R. G., and Stuebben, G. A. (1976), Stress-strain characteristics of compacted waste disposal material, New Horizons in Construction Materials, Envo Publishing Co., Inc., Bethlehem, Pa., pp. 127–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang, H. Y., Slutter, R. G., and Koerner, R. M. (1977), Load bearing capacity of compacted waste disposal materials, Proc. Specialty Session on Geotechnical Engineering and Environmental Control, 9th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Tokyo, July, pp. 265-278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang, H. Y. and Mikroudis, G. K. (1987), Multi-domains and multi-experts in knowledge-based expert systems, Proc. International Symposium on Environmental Geotechnology, 2, Envo Publishing Co., Inc., Bethlehem, Pa., pp. 355–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang, H. Y., Mikroudis, G. K., and Pamukcu, S. (1989), Fracture behavior of compacted fine-grained soils, Fracture Mechanics: Perspectives and Directions (Twentieth Symposium), ASTM STP 1020, pp. 659–667.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, H. Y. and Mikroudis, G. K. (1990), Use of multi-domain knowledge-based expert systems for environmental assessment of slope and landslides, Proc. 2nd International Symposium on Environmental Geotechnology, 2, Envo Publishing Co., Inc., Bethlehem, Pa. (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Fellenius, W. (1927), Erdstatische Berechnungen (calculation of stability of slopes), W. Ernst und Sohn, Berlin. (Revised edition, 1939.)

    Google Scholar 

  • Finn, W. D. L. (1966), Earthquake stability of cohesive slopes, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 92, No. SM1, pp. 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fröhlich, O. K. (1953), A factor of safety with respect to sliding of a mass of soil along the arc of logarithmic spiral, Proc. Third International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Zurich, II, pp. 230–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fukuoka, M. (1980), Landslides associated with rainfall, Geotechnical Engineering, 11, No. 1, pp. 1–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, R. E. and Morgenstern, N. (1962), A note on the stability of cuttings in normally consolidated clays, Geotechnique, 12, No. 3, pp. 212–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, D. H. and Leiser, A. T. (1982), Biotechnical Slope Protection and Erosion Control, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, N.Y.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Y. H. (1975), Stability charts for earth embankments, Transportation Research Record, 548, pp. 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Y. H. (1980), Stability charts for effective stress analysis of nonhomogeneous embankments, Transportation Research Record, 749, pp. 72–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Y. H. (1983), Stability Analysis of Earth Slopes, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, N.Y.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, T. K. and Chen, W. F. (1990), CAP plasticity model for embankment: from theory to practice, Proc. 2nd International Symposium on Environmental Geotechnology, 2, Envo Publishing Co., Inc., Bethlehem, Pa. (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, J. H. and Schuster, R. L. (1968), Stability of simple cuttings in normally consolidated clays, Geotechnique, XVIII, No. 3, pp. 372–378.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, J. H. and Schuster, R. L. (1971), Chart solutions for analysis of earth slopes, Highway Research Record No. 345, pp. 77-89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Imaizumi, S., Nakayama, H., Nakajima, S., and Tajiri, K. (1989), Analysis of susceptibility to slope failure from heavy rainfall using a geomorphic and geological data based system, Proc. 2nd International Symposium on Environmental Geotechnology, 1, Envo Publishing Co., Inc., Bethlehem, Pa., pp. 481–492.

    Google Scholar 

  • Inderbitzen, A. L. (1965), An investigation of underwater slope stability, Ocean Science and Ocean Engineering, MTS/ASLO Joint Conference Transactions, 2, pp. 1309–1343.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jáky, J. (1936), The stability of earth slopes, Proc. First International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, II, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass., pp. 125–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janbu, N. (1954a), Application of composite slip surfaces for stability analysis, Proc. European Conference on Stability of Earth Slopes, Sweden, 3, pp. 43–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janbu, N. (1954b), Stability analysis of slopes with dimensionless parameters, Harvard Soil Mechanics Series No. 46, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janbu, N., Bjerrum, L., and Kjaernsli, B. (1956), Veiledning ved losning av fundamenteringsoppgaver, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Publication No. 16, Oslo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jumikis, A. R. (1967), The factor of safety in foundation engineering, Highway Research Record No. 156, pp. 23-32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kézdi, A. (1957), On the factor of safety, Proc. 4th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, III, pp. 253–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kjaernsli, B. and Simons, N. (1962), Stability investigations of the north bank of the Drammen River, Geotechnique, XII, No. 2, pp. 147–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koppula, S. D. (1984), Pseudo-static analysis of clay slopes subjected to earthquakes, Geotechnique, 34, No. 1, pp. 70–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambe, T. W. and Whitman, R. V. (1979), Soil Mechanics, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y., pp. 353–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonards, G. A. (1979), Stability of slopes in soft clays, Proc. 6th Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 1, pp. 223–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lo, K. Y. (1965), Stability of slopes in anisotropic soils, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 91, No. SM4, pp. 85–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowe, J. III (1967), Stability analysis of embankments, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 93, No. SM4, pp. 1–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowe, J. III and Karafiath, L. (1960), Stability of earth dams upon drawdown, Proc. First Panamerican Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Mexico City, 2, pp. 537–552.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lumb, P. (1962), Effect of rain storms on slope stability, Proc. Symposium on Hong Kong Soils, Hong Kong Institution of Engineering, pp. 73-87.

    Google Scholar 

  • MAA Group (1980), Collection of Technical Papers Published in 1976–1980, MAA Group Consulting Engineers, Singapore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Majumdar, D. K. (1971), Stability of soil slopes under horizontal earthquake force, Geotechnique, XXI, No. 1, pp. 84–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikroudis, G. K. and Fang, H. Y. (1988), GEOTOX-PC: A new hazardous waste management tool, Microcomputer Knowledge-based Expert Systems in Civil Engineering, ed. H. Adeli, ASCE, New York, N.Y., pp. 102–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mizuno, E. and Chen, W. F. (1984), Plasticity models for seismic analyses of slopes, Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 3, No. 1, pp. 2-7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgenstern, N. (1963), Stability charts for earth slopes during rapid drawdown, Geotechnique, XIII, No. 2, pp. 121–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgenstern, N. R. and Price, V. E. (1965), The analysis of the stability of general slip surfaces, Geotechnique, XV, No. 1, pp. 79–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muhiddin, A. B., Pamukcu, S., and Fang, H. Y. (1989), Use of knowledge-based expert systems for controlling landslides in tropical-urban environment, Proc. 1st Caribbean Conference on Artificial Intelligence, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad, West Indies, pp. 63–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, V. U. (1985), Determination of critical slope failure surfaces, Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE, 111, No. 2, pp. 238–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nonveiller, E. (1965), The stability analysis of slopes with a slip surface of general shape, Proc. 6th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Montreal, 2, pp. 522-525.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, M. J. and Mitchell, R. J. (1977), An extension of the Bishop and Morgenstern slope stability charts, Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 14, No. 1, pp. 144–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oweis, I. S. and Khara, R. (1986), Criteria for geotechnical construction on sanitary landfills, Proc. International Symposium on Environmental Geotechnology, 1, Envo Publishing Co., Inc., Bethlehem, Pa., pp. 205–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perloff, W. H. and Baron, W. (1976), Soil Mechanics, The Ronald Press Co., New York, N.Y., pp. 528–586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rau, G. and Chaney, R. C. (1988), Triaxial testing of marine sediments with high gas contents, Advanced Triaxial Testing of Soil and Rock, eds R. T. Donaghe, R. C. Chaney, and M. L. Silver, ASTM STP 977, American Society for Testing and Materials, Pa., pp. 338–352.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rendulic, L. (1935), Ein Beitrag Zur Bestimmung der Gleitsicherheit, Der Bauingenieur, No. 19/20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, A. F. (1978), Marine slope stability: an introduction, Marine Geotechnology, 2, pp. 1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards, A. F. and Chaney, R. C. (1982), Marine slope stability— A geological approach, Proc. NATO Conference on Marine Slides and Other Mass Movements, pp. 163-172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, A. F. and Zuiderg, H. M. (1986), Sampling and in-situ geotechnical investigations offshore, ASTM STP 923, pp. 51–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schuster, R. L. (1968), Selection of analytical methods and strength parameters for slope stability investigations in cohesive soils, Highway Research Record No. 223, pp. 1-8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seed, H. B. (1966), A method for earthquake resistant design of earth dams, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 92, No. SMI, pp. 13–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seed, H. B. (1967), Slope stability during earthquakes, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 93, No. SM4, pp. 299–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seed, H. B. and Goodman, R. E. (1964), Earthquake stability of slopes of cohesionless soils, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 90, No. SM6, pp. 43–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherard, J. L. (1967), Some considerations in earth dam design, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 93, No. SM4, pp. 377–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simpson, F. and Inderbitzen, A. L. (1971), Shear strength and slope stability of marine sediments in a gullied area, Proc. International Symposium on the Engineering Properties of Sea-Floor Soil and Their Geophysical Identification, UNESCO/NSF/University of Washington, pp. 95-109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skempton, A. W. (1954), The pore-pressure coefficients A and B, Geotechnique, IV, No. 4, pp. 143–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skempton, A. W. (1957), Discussion of the planning and design of the new Hong Kong airport, Proc. of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 7, London, pp. 305–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skempton, A. W. (1964), Long-term stability of clay slopes, Geo-technique, XIV, No. 2, pp. 77–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skempton, A. W. (1977), Slope stability of cuttings in brown London clay, Special Lecture Volume, Proc. 9th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, pp. 25-33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skempton, A. W. and Golder, H. Q. (1948), Practical examples of the ϕ = 0 analysis of stability of clays, Proc. Second International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 2, pp. 63–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snitbhan, N., Chen, W. F., and Fang, H. Y. (1975), Slope stability of layered soils, Proc. 4th Southeast Asia Conference on Soil Engineering, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pp. 5–26 to 5-29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, E. (1967), A method of analysis of the stability of embankments assuming parallel inter-slice forces, Geotechnique, XVII, No. 1, pp. 11–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, E. (1968), Effect of tension on stability of embankments, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 94, No. SM5, pp. 1159–1173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, E. (1969), Circular and logarithmic spiral slip surfaces, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 95, No. SM1, pp. 227–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, D. W. (1937), Stability of earth slopes, Journal of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers, 24, pp. 197–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, D. W. (1948), Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y., pp. 406–479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terzaghi, K. and Peck, R. B. (1967), Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y., pp. 232–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ting, J. M. (1983), Geometric concerns in slope stability analyses, Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE, 109, No. 11, pp. 1487–1491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • TRB (1990), Microcomputer software for geotechnical engineering, Transportation Research Circular No. 356, Transportation Research Board/National Research Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varnes, D. J. (1978), Slope movement types and processes, Landslides: Analysis and Control, National Academy of Sciences, Special Report 176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winterkorn, H. F. and Fang, H. Y. (1970), Mechanical resistance properties of ocean floors and beaches in light of the theory of macromeritic liquids, Proc. Inter Ocean 70, Dusseldorf, 2, pp. 43–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong, F. S. (1985), Slope reliability and response surface method, Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE, 111, No. 1, pp. 32–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, T. H. (1984), Effect of vegetation on slope stability, Transportation Research Record, 965, pp. 37–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, T. H. and Kraft, L. M. (1967), Probability of foundation safety, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, 93, No. SM5, pp. 213-231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, X. J. and Chen, W. F. (1987), Stability analysis of slopes with general nonlinear failure criterion, International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 11, pp. 33–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehigh University, USA

    Hsai-Yang Fang Ph.D. (Professor of Civil Engineering)

  2. AVANSE, Ltd., USA

    George K. Mikroudis Ph.D. (President)

Authors
  1. Hsai-Yang Fang Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. George K. Mikroudis Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Geotechnical Engineering Division, Fritz Engineering Laboratory, Lehigh University, USA

    Hsai-Yang Fang Ph.D. (Professor of Civil Engineering and Director) (Professor of Civil Engineering and Director)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fang, HY., Mikroudis, G.K. (1991). Stability of Earth Slopes. In: Fang, HY. (eds) Foundation Engineering Handbook. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5271-7_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5271-7_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-5273-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-5271-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation