A Slope Stability Analysis Method Combined

with Limit Equilibrium and Finite Element Simulation

Jiawen Zhou1,, Junye Deng2, and Fugang Xu1
1

State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering,

Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, PR China
2
Armed Police Hydropower Troops, Xinyu 338029, PR China
jwzhou@scu.edu.cn

Abstract. This paper presents a slope stability analysis method combined with
the limit equilibrium and finite element simulation. Based on the simulated
stress of a slope, the safety factory of one element can computed with MohrCoulomb criterion, and introduces the Dijkstra algorithm of graph theory to
search the dangerous slide surface combined with limit equilibrium method. For
an examine slope, the simulated results of safety factor and location of
dangerous sliding surface is close to the strength reduction method. Sensitivity
analysis results show that, the safety factor of slope is decreased with the
increasing height and inclination of slope, but decreased with the decreasing
cohesion and friction angle.
Keywords: slope stability, safety factor, limit equilibrium, finite element
method, Dijkstra algorithm.

Introduction

Landslide is a typical geological disaster in the worldwide, and causes a huge threat
to the human life and property [1-2]. The landslide will happen to a slope because of
earthquake, rainfall and manmade excavation [3]. Therefore, it is very important to
determine the dangerous sliding surface and safety factor of slope. Currently, the
slope stability analysis methods include: Geo-mechanical method (such as
stereographic projection), the limit equilibrium method, finite element method,
discrete element method, Lagrange differential method [4-7]. These slope stability
analysis methods based on mechanics theory cannot consider the internal stress-strain
relationship of soil or rock mass, the failure process of the slope can not be
determined [8]. But the numerical simulation methods can consider the stress and
strain status of slope, so that combined with the limit equilibrium method can solve
the slope stability problem more effectively [9].
In this paper, based on the simulated stress of slope through finite element method,
the safety factor of one element is computed base on Mohr-Coulomb criterion, and
then introduced the shortest path problem in Dijkstra algorithm of the graph theory
search the dangerous sliding surface, combined with the limit equilibrium method, the
safety factor of slope can be determined.

Corresponding author.

D. Jin and S. Jin (Eds.): Advances in FCCS, Vol. 1, AISC 159, pp. 241247.
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
springerlink.com

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J. Zhou, J. Deng, and F. Xu

Slope Stability Analysis Based on Finite Element Method

In this section, two slope stability analysis methods base on finite element analysis are
introduced, strength reduction and improved Dijkstra method. The improved Dijkstra
method is combined with the simulated stress of slope and limits equilibrium analysis,
and introduce Dijkstra algorithm to search the dangerous sliding surface.
2.1

Strength Reduction Method

Strength reduction is a slope stability method based on finite element analysis, with
the decreasing of shear strength for slope materials (rock or soil), the safety factor and
dangerous sliding surface can be determined.
Safety Factor of One Element. In the numerical simulation process of a slope, the
principal stress of one element can determined, and the resistance shear strength can
computed base on Mohr-Coulomb criterion,

f = c + tan

(1)

where is the normal stress; c is the cohesion; is the friction angle.

Fig. 1 shows the stress state of one element based on Mohr-Coulomb criterion.

Fig. 1. Stress state of one element based on Mohr-Coulomb criterion.

As shown in Fig. 1, the normal stress and shear strength can computed as
follow,

= p q cos , = q sin

(2)

where p=(1+3)/2; q=(1-3)/2; 1 is the first principal stress; 3 is the third principal
stress.
Then the safety factor of element can computed base on limit equilibrium method,
Fs = f = [ ( p q cos ) tan + c] ( q sin )

(3)

A Slope Stability Analysis Method Combined with Limit Equilibrium

243

Aimed to solve the minimum safety factor of slope, derivation is carried out for the
Eq. (3), when

= arccos[( q tan ) (c p tan )]

(4)

The safety factor Fs can get minimum value.

Slope Failure Criterion. Strength reduction method is fulfilled through decreasing
the shear strength of slope materials step by step, the relationship of shear strength
and safety factor of slope is as follow,

c = c Fs , = arctan(tan Fs )

(5)

In the numerical simulation process, the initial value of safety factor is 1.0, through a
series of reduction for shear strength until the slope failure is happened, and the
reduction factor is the minimum safety factor of slope. In the strength reduction
process, the mechanical parameters used for numerical simulation are renewed by the
Eq. (5). Several tests are carried out to find out the reasonable reduction factor for the
shear strength, a slope failure criterion should be certain in the iterative calculation
process. In this paper, an error of unbalanced force is used to make certain the slope
is failure or not, if the calculation unbalanced force is less then , the compute
results is stable, if not, the calculation should be carried out until the <.
2.2

Improved Dijkstra Method Based on Simulated Results

Improved Dijkstra method is combined with the simulated stress results and limits
equilibrium method, and introduce the Dijkstra algorithm to search the dangerous
sliding surface. The Dijkstra algorithm is a method to solve the short path problem in
the graph theory, and in this paper we use it to solve the dangerous sliding surface
problem in slope stability analysis process [10].
(a)

(b)

Fig. 2. Examine slope for stability analysis method: (a) geometry and (b) simulated grid.

In this paper, the thought, theory and calculation process are not described in this
paper, reference [10] shows this method in details.

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J. Zhou, J. Deng, and F. Xu

In the calculation process, the grid information, element information should be

determined before the search of dangerous sliding surface. The grid information
includes: grid number, coordinate of grid, stress value of each grid and shear strength
parameters. The element information includes: simulation element, sliding boundary.
Here we take a typical examine slope to verification the improved Dijkstra method.
The examine slope is designed by Donald and Giam [7], which is used for develop the
ACADS slope stability analysis procedure. Fig. 2(a) shows the geometry of this twodimensional soil slope, and Fig. 2(b) shows the simulated grid of this slope. The
mechanical parameters are: density is 20.0 kN/m3, elastic modulus is 10 MPa,
Poissons ratio is 0.25, cohesion is 3.0 kPa, and friction angle is 19.6. The theory
analysis results of safety factor for this slope is 1.000. Then we adopted improved
Dijkstra method to solve this slope stability problem. Fig. 3 shows the simulated
result of dangerous sliding surface and its safety factor.

Fig. 3. Dangerous sliding surface and its safety factor of examine slope which is solved by
improved Dijkstra method.

As shown in Fig. 3, the dangerous sliding surface solved by the improved Dijkstra
method is close to the theory analysis result, and the minimum safety factor is 1.002,
the recommend result is 1.000, the simulated error is very little, so that the improved
Dijkstra method can be applied to solve the slope stability problem.

Sensitivity Analysis of Mechanical Parameters

The slope stability is influenced by geometry parameters and mechanical parameter of

slope material. In this paper, we adopted limit equilibrium method (LE method),
strength reduction method (SR method) and improved Dijkstra method (presented
method) to carry out the sensitivity analysis of mechanical parameters. Fig. 4 shows
the geometry of slope used for sensitivity analysis. Its a soil slope, only one layer, the
seepage and external loading are not considered in this model. Four mechanical
parameters are used for the sensitivity analysis of safety factor of slope, includes:
slope height, slope angle, cohesion and friction angle of soil. According to one
mechanical parameter, other parameters are fixed.
Table 1 show the mechanical parameters set of the soil slope. The slope height is
range from 5 m to 20 m, slope angle is range from 25 to 55, cohesion of soil is range
from 10 kPa to 40 kPa, and friction angle of soil is range from 10 to 40. And then
the safety factor of this slope under different conditions can be computed.

A Slope Stability Analysis Method Combined with Limit Equilibrium

245

Fig. 4. Geometry of the slope used for sensitivity analysis.

Table 1. Mechanical parameters set of the soil slope.
Set

Slope Height(m)
Slope angle()
Cohesion (kPa)
Friction angle

5~20
45
25
20

10
25~55
25
20

10
45
10~40
20

10
45
25
10~40

10
45
25
20

Fig. 5 shows the sensitivity analysis results of mechanical parameters.

Fig. 5. Sensitivity analysis results of mechanical parameters impact on the safety factor.

As shown in Fig. 5, the safety factor computed by the upper methods is very close.

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J. Zhou, J. Deng, and F. Xu

The safety factor computed by limit equilibrium is the minimum one, and the
strength reduction is the maximum one. The safety factor is decreased with the
increasing slope height, safety factor is 2.30 when the slope height is 5 m, and
decreased to 1.00 when the slope height is about 20 m. The safety factor is decreased
with the increasing slope angle, safety factor is 2.10 when the slope angle is 25, and
decreased to 1.24 when the slope angle is 55. The safety factor is increased with the
increasing cohesion and friction angle of soil, the safety factor is 0.90 when the
cohesion is 10 kPa, and increased to 1.91 when the cohesion is 40 kPa; the safety
factor is 1.11 when the friction angle is 10, and increased to 2.12 when the friction
angle is 40.

Case Study

The case study slope is a two layers soil slope, Fig. 6(a) shows the geometry of this
slope and Fig. 6(b) shows the assumptions of the water pressure. For the soil at the
upper layer, the natural density is 14.7 kN/m3, the saturated density is 17.64 kN/m3,
the cohesion is 10 kPa, and the friction angle is 20. For the soil at the upper layer, the
natural density is 19.6 kN/m3, the saturated density is 22.54 kN/m3, the cohesion is 10
kPa, and the friction angle is 25.

(a)

(b)

Fig. 6. (a) Geometry of the case study slope; (b) assumptions of the water pressure.

We adopt strength reduction method and improved Dijkstra method to analysis the
slope stability problem of this slope. Fig. 7 shows the simulated results of the
dangerous sliding surface and its safety factor.

Fig. 7. Simulated results of the dangerous sliding surface and its safety factor.

As shown in Fig. 7, the safety factor of this slope is about 1.40.

A Slope Stability Analysis Method Combined with Limit Equilibrium

247

The dangerous sliding surface computed by the improved Dijkstra method is very
close to the strength reduction method, and the error of safety factor is also very
small.

Conclusions

In this paper, a slope stability analysis method is presented base on the simulated
stress of slope and the Dijkstra algorithm in graph theory. Through a verification of
examine slope, the dangerous sliding surface and its safety factor is very close to the
theory solution. The sensitivity analysis results show that, the safety factor of slope is
decreased with the increasing slope height and angle, and increased with the
increasing cohesion and friction angle of soil. Case study results show that the
dangerous sliding surface and its safety factor is very close to the strength reduction
method. The stress state of slope can be simulated by the finite element method,
combined with the limit equilibrium method and introduce some optimization
algorithm can solve the slope stability problem.
Acknowledgements. The support of Chinese National Natural Science Foundation
(No. 41030742, 41102194) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No.
20110491741) are gratefully acknowledged.

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