Abstract
The formulation of slope stability was formerly considered in two-dimensional (2D) assuming a plane strain condition to be valid. The utilization of a 2D formulation for slope stability problems is often advantageous in terms of computational efficiency and logical reasoning when the cross section exhibits symmetry along the longitudinal direction. However, when the slope's cross section undergoes changes or when unsymmetrical loading conditions occur along the longitudinal direction, the assumption of a plane strain condition becomes invalid. In such scenarios, a three-dimensional (3D) slope stability analysis becomes essential to obtain accurate solutions. In the case of a 2D analysis, the failure mass is typically subdivided into slices, whereas in a 3D analysis, columns are employed to discretize the failure mass. The present study focuses on conducting a comparative analysis of 2D and 3D slope stability using Bishop's simplified method. A visual basic applications code-based spreadsheet platform was developed for 2D slope incorporating the generalized limit equilibrium method, including Bishop’s method, whereas Scoops-3D was used to perform 3D slope stability analysis. It is observed that 2D slope analysis usually yields a more conservative estimate of the FOS compared to 3D analysis. Various intermediate parameters such as normal force and the slice base angle have been investigated along the failure surface for both 2D and 3D slope analysis. The comparison of these parameters helps understand the intricate differences between 2 and 3D slope stability solution procedures.
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Mr. Brijbhan Rao (First Author): Conceptualization, Analysis, and Writing of the manuscript. Dr. Avijit Burman (Second and Corresponding Author): Conceptualization, Analysis, overall supervision. Dr. Lal Bahadur Roy (Third Author): Conceptualization and Overall Supervision. Mr. Sumit Kumar (Forth Author): Analysis and Writing of the manuscript. Mr. Amit Kumar (Fifth Author): Analysis and Writing of the manuscript. Dr. Shiva Shankar Choudhary (Sixth Author): Conceptualization and Overall Supervision.
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Rao, B., Burman, A., Roy, L.B. et al. Comparative analysis of 2D and 3D slope stability problems using limit equilibrium technique-based Bishop’s simplified method. Multiscale and Multidiscip. Model. Exp. and Des. 7, 1169–1184 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41939-023-00278-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41939-023-00278-2