Effect of spatial variability on stability and failure mechanisms of 3D slope using random limit equilibrium method

It is well known that soils are prone to spatial non-uniformity, which affects evaluations of slope stability and failure mechanisms. This paper presents a probabilistic slope stability evaluation, considering the 3D spatial variation in the soil properties, by the random limit equilibrium method (RLEM). Specifically, 3D random fields of cohesion c, friction angle ϕ, and soil unit weight γ are generated using a fast Fourier transform. The RLEM is applied to evaluate the effects of the 3D spatial variability of the soil properties on slope stability and failure mechanisms. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to interpret the slope reliability and variation in slope failure dimension. Based on the critical slip surface passing different portions of a slope (slope base, inclined face, and crest), four main failure mechanisms (two base failures and two face failures), and one additional failure mechanism (toe failure), are identified for spatially variable slopes, and the corresponding distributions of the stability number (N_s) and sliding volume (V) are investigated in detail. The results show that the large variation in the soil properties induces changes in the failure mechanisms, and a threshold of c-ϕ values is found for a shift from base failure to toe failure. Lastly, associated sensitivity studies are performed to explore the effects of the uncertainties of the input parameters on the uncertainty of the output. The results estimated by partial Spearman correlation coefficients show that cohesion has the greatest influence on the stability number, and that a positive influence of the unit weight, contributing to slope stability, is found for a base failure mechanism.