Analytical solution for slope instability assessment considering impact of confined aquifer

An analytical approach was presented for estimating the factor of safety ( F S ) for slope failure, with consideration of the impact of a confined aquifer. An upward-moving wetting front from the confined water was assumed and the pore water pressure distribution was then estimated and used to obtai...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of Central South University Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 1502 - 1509
Main Authors Ran, Qi-hua, Qian, Qun, Wang, Guang-qian, Fu, Xu-dong, Su, Dan-yang
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Heidelberg Central South University 01.04.2015
Subjects
Engineering
Metallic Materials
analytical approach
confined/artesian groundwater
factor of safety
slope stability
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Summary:An analytical approach was presented for estimating the factor of safety ( F S ) for slope failure, with consideration of the impact of a confined aquifer. An upward-moving wetting front from the confined water was assumed and the pore water pressure distribution was then estimated and used to obtain the analytical expression of F S . Then, the validation of the theoretical analysis was applied based on an actual case in Hong Kong. It is shown that the presence of a confined aquifer leads to a lower F S value, and the impact rate of hydrostatic pressure on F S increases as the confined water pressure increases, approaching to a maximum value determined by the ratio of water density to saturated soil density. It is also presented that the contribution of hydrostatic pressure and hydrodynamic pressure to the slope stability vary with the confined aquifer pressure.
ISSN:2095-2899
2227-5223
DOI:10.1007/s11771-015-2667-7