<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The thoughtful design and mitigation of ecological slope stabilization measures rely heavily on the reliable assessment of the stability of vegetated slopes. This is a complex problem due to the many aspects of vegetation presence that must be taken into account. The numerical model should be able to consider mechanical root reinforcement and root water uptake, which can lead to soil desaturation. This paper presents the application of the strength reduction method to the Modified Cam-Clay model for unsaturated, root-reinforced soils, which allows for the quantitative estimation of slope stability. The technique is implemented in finite element software and tested using several numerical examples. Firstly, the sensitivity of the factor of safety to changes in root constitutive parameters is investigated. In the second example, the stability of the modelled slope is assessed under rainfall of a certain duration followed by progressively modifying soil strength parameters until failure occurs. Furthermore, slope stability is assessed for various durations of the rainfall period.</p>
</abstract>

The thoughtful design and mitigation of ecological slope stabilization measures rely heavily on the reliable assessment of the stability of vegetated slopes. This is a complex problem due to the many aspects of vegetation presence that must be taken into account. The numerical model should be able to consider mechanical root reinforcement and root water uptake, which can lead to soil desaturation. This paper presents the application of the strength reduction method to the Modified Cam-Clay model for unsaturated, root-reinforced soils, which allows for the quantitative estimation of slope stability. The technique is implemented in finite element software and tested using several numerical examples. Firstly, the sensitivity of the factor of safety to changes in root constitutive parameters is investigated. In the second example, the stability of the modelled slope is assessed under rainfall of a certain duration followed by progressively modifying soil strength parameters until failure occurs. Furthermore, slope stability is assessed for various durations of the rainfall period.

Strength Reduction Method in the Stability Assessment of Vegetated Slopes

Architecture, Civil Engineering, Environment

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Strength Reduction Method in the Stability Assessment of Vegetated Slopes"}

The thoughtful design and mitigation of ecological slope stabilization measures rely heavily on the reliable assessment of the stability of vegetated slopes....

Strength Reduction Method in the Stability Assessment of Vegetated Slopes

Published Online: Jul 20, 2023

Page range: 151 - 159

Received: Jan 13, 2023

Accepted: Mar 14, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acee-2023-0024

Keywords
Finite element method, Rainfall, Root-reinforcement, Slope stability, Strength reduction

© 2023 Barbara Świtała, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Strength Reduction Method in the Stability Assessment of Vegetated Slopes

Published Online: Jul 20, 2023

Page range: 151 - 159

Received: Jan 13, 2023

Accepted: Mar 14, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acee-2023-0024

KeywordsFinite element method, Rainfall, Root-reinforcement, Slope stability, Strength reduction

© 2023 Barbara Świtała, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Finite element method, Rainfall, Root-reinforcement, Slope stability, Strength reduction