The Role Fore Air Flow in Soil Slope Stability Analysis

• Published in: Journal of hydrodynamics. Series B Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 640 - 646
• Main Authors: ZHANG, Xiao-yue, ZHU, Yue-ming, FANG, Chun-hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2009; Springer Singapore; College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
• Subjects: Engineering; Engineering Fluid Dynamics; Hydrology/Water Resources; Numerical and Computational Physics; rainfall; Simulation; slope stability; unsaturated soil; water-air two-phase flow; unsaturated soil; rainfall; water-air two-phase flow; slope stability
• ISSN: 1001-6058; 1878-0342
• DOI: 10.1016/S1001-6058(08)60195-X

In order to investigate the effect of the pore air flow in the soil slope stability analysis, a water-air two-phase flow model, based on the multi-phase flow theory, is proposed and with the model, the water-phase and air-phase seepages of the soil slope in the stable seepage and rainfall situations are simulated. The soil slope safety coefficients are obtained according to the simulated pore air pressure and pore water pressure. The calculation results show that in the stable seepage situation, the influence of the pore air pressure on the soil slope stability can be neglected, while in the rainfall situation, the pore air pressure generated in the unsaturated zone will reduce the safety coefficient, and the larger the distance between the slip surface and the underground water level is, the greater the influence of the pore air pressure on the soil slope stability will be.