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Multiverse Optimisation Algorithm for Capturing the Critical Slip Surface in Slope Stability Analysis

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Abstract

In professional practice, slope stability assessment of natural or man-made slopes is performed using traditional limit-equilibrium-based methods. These methods often fail to identify the critical slip surface corresponding to the minimum factor of safety (FS). Optimisation methods based on stochastic search techniques can more easily locate the global optima solution than traditional methods can. The paper presents the application of the recently proposed multiverse optimisation (MVO) algorithm in determining the lowest FS along the critical slip surface. Four benchmark examples are analysed to test the performance of the multiverse optimiser for slope stability assessment. The results demonstrate that the MVO algorithm can capture the critical slip surface and compute its corresponding FS with a considerably low uncertainty.

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Modified from Mirjalili et al. (2016)

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Modified from Cheng (2003)

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the support from the post-doctoral fellowship at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721302, India

    Mayank Mishra & Damodar Maity

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Haus Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India

    Gunturi Venkata Ramana

  3. School of Infrastructure, Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Bhubaneswar, Argul, Khordha, India

    Mayank Mishra

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  1. Mayank Mishra
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  2. Gunturi Venkata Ramana
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Correspondence to Mayank Mishra.

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Mishra, M., Ramana, G.V. & Maity, D. Multiverse Optimisation Algorithm for Capturing the Critical Slip Surface in Slope Stability Analysis. Geotech Geol Eng 38, 459–474 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-019-01037-2

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