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LEM:
FS is the ratio of the available shear strength
to the shear stress required for equilibrium.
(e.g.,
s
= FS
t
= FS
Equilibrium conditions:
Forces equilibrium
Moments equilibrium
Methods, e.g.:
Infinite slope
Swedish circle / | = 0 method
Ordinary Method of Slices (OMS/Fellenius)
Bishops Bishop s
Janbus
Morgenstern and Prices
Spencers
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Why FEM?
From Griffiths and Lane (1999):
No assumption needs to be made in advance about
the shape or location of the failure surface.
Since there is no concept of slices in the FE
approach, there is no need for assumptions about
slice side forces.
If realistic soil compressibility data are available,
the FE solutions will give information about g
deformations at working stress levels.
The FE method is able to monitor progressive
failure up to and including overall shear failure.
A computational procedure to obtain an
approximate solution to a math problem pp p
FE in GE: Displacement based finite element
approach
Continuum elements
Governing math equations are approximated
by a series of algebraic equations involving
quantities evaluated at discrete points.
FE equations formulated & solved in a way as
to minimize error in approximate solutions.
Steps:
Element discretization
Primary variable approximation
Element equations
Global equations
Boundary conditions
Solve global equations
Stress & strain calculations
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Or generating a finite element mesh
Mesh consists of elements connected es co s sts o e e e ts co ected
together at nodes
Difficult to lay down hard and fast rules for
the number of finite elements needed
Avoid using too few elements
On minimum specification machines, avoid using
too many elements
The mesh should be finer (i.e. elements should
be smaller) in regions where rapidly varying
strains/stresses are to be expected (e.g. near strains/stresses are to be expected (e.g. near
loaded boundaries).
Analyze the problem with 2 different
meshes, one being finer than the other (i.e.
with more elements or using a higher order with more elements or using a higher order
element).
A comparison of the results (a displacement
or stress value) would indicate whether a
sufficient number of elements (d.o.f.s) are
being used in the analysis.
Theoretically, an increasingly finer mesh Theoretically, an increasingly finer mesh
should produce results which tend towards
the true solution, although this can only be
checked where analytical solutions exist.
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6-node triangular elements 15-node triangular elements
The above meshes have approximately the same number of
nodes and stress points. Therefore, results are comparable.
However, the 15-node elements could be more accurate in
calculation.
Relate strains to displacement
Relate stress to strain through constitutive e ate st ess to st a t oug co st tut e
model in forms of material stiffness matrix
Element stiffness matrix
Numerical integration at stress points
Element equations assembled
K U = P K U = P
K = global stiffness matrix
U = vector containing displacement values
P = nodal forces
Pressure boundary conditions (including body
forces from excavated & constructed
elements) Nodal forces
Displacement conditions
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Solved global equations nodal
displacement p
Nodal displacement stress and strain at
each element
2-D Model
Plane Strain
Axisymmetric
3-D Model
Plane Strain model is used for geometries with a
relatively uniform xy-section & corresponding
stress state and loading scheme over a certain
length perpendicular to the xy-section (z-
direction).
In z-direction, displacements & strains are
assumed to be zero
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Drained: the load is applied for a sufficiently
long period for the additional pore pressure g p p p
developed by the loading to fall to zero.
Undrained: when an element of soil is loaded,
before the flow of pore water has time to take
place.
Drained analysis may be carried out based on
effective stress: the material model is
specified in drained parameters
Undrained analysis maybe carried out:
Based on total stress: specified in undrained soil
parameters
Adopt the effective stress model: Adopt the effective stress model:
Elasto-perfectly plastic soil model
Hardening Soil Model SofteningSoil Model
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' 'tan '
f f
c t o | = +
Main parameters for Mohr-Coulomb model:
c, |, , representing the plastic behavior,
E and u representing the elastic behavior.
FS is defined as the number by which the S s de ed as t e u be by c t e
original shear strength parameters must be
divided in order to bring the slope to the point
of failure. (e.g., Griffiths and Lane 1999)
c
FS = =
| tan
f f
c
FS
| tan
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c = 30 kPa
H 10 m H = 10 m
d = 1
= 16 kN/m
3
0
=
c
N FS
09 . 1
10 16
30
8 . 5
0
=

=
H
N FS

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Geometry modeling
Boundary conditions & loads ou da y co d t o s & oads
Soil parameters
Meshing
Initial stresses
Calculation: Phi-c Reduction
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Sources of Errors (n = 31)
Software 13% So t a e 3%
Users 87%
ASCE Task Committee on Avoiding Failures Caused by
Computer Misuse 1997
K
0
Procedure
Gravity Loading Gravity Loading
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Not Not
Correct!
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C ! Correct!