Dynamic analysis of earthquake amplification effect of slopes in different topographic and geological conditions by using ABAQUS

Natural disasters like earthquake and tsunami can trigger slope failure or affect the stability of slopes. Geodisasters associated with slope failure has affected the socio-economic development of many developed and developing countries of the world. In dynamic analysis of slope stability due the seismic loading, it is important to understand the amplification effect on the slope due to topographic and geologic conditions. However, because the topographic and geological structures are too complicated, the amplification effects are not clear. This study tries to analyze the amplification effects on slopes by using Abaqus, FEM software. Analysis was conducted on the amplification effect of a homogeneous slope due to the effects of slope height, slope angle, seismic movement, and dip angle of alternating layers of tuff and shale. Also, the amplification effect of the north–south and east–west strike directions of slopes around the Shimane nuclear power plant (Shimane-NCPP) was also simulated. In this study, amplification factor will be defined as the ratio of output peak acceleration to the input acceleration. Results obtained show (1) that the amplification factor becomes lower when the slope height is increased for the slope crest and the middle part of the slope; (2) amplification factor of the slope crest becomes relatively high when the slope angle is high while amplification factor at the foot of the slope becomes relatively low at the same slope angle; (3) amplification tendency does not show obvious difference for seismic waves on the dip angle of the slope strata; (4) north–south trending strike direction of slopes around the Shimane-NCPP show high amplification factor near the slope crest while the east–west trending strike direction of slopes around the Shimane-NCPP shows high amplification factor near the slope toe.