Seismic Stability of the Slope Containing a Laterally Loaded Pile by Finite-Element Limit Analysis
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22, Issue 1
Abstract
In this study, the seismic stability of a slope containing a laterally loaded pile under seismic conditions is evaluated by the finite-element limit analysis (FELA) approach. The seismic action is idealized as a horizontal seismic coefficient, ranging from 0 to 0.3, within the framework of the pseudo-static approach, and applied as an accelerogram of earthquakes to the numerical model in the seismic analysis. By means of the adaptive meshing technique, the finite-element method, and limit theorem of plasticity, the slope failure mechanism need not be presumed in advance. The feasibility of the FELA is validated by comparing the obtained factors of safety and critical sliding surfaces with those provided by published literature. Based on this, the effects of various factors (e.g., horizontal seismic coefficient, internal friction angle, cohesion, slope angle, slope height, and lateral load atop the pile) on the factor of safety and failure mechanism, with a normalized parameter (seismic-multiplier) is proposed. Furthermore, some detailed design tables and four representative slope failure patterns are presented to estimate the seismic stability of the slope containing a laterally loaded pile.
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Acknowledgments
This research is part of work supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51978255 and 51908208). The authors are thankful to OptumCE for the free access of OptumG2 program (academic edition) to perform this study.
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International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22 • Issue 1 • January 2022
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 7, 2021
Accepted: Aug 19, 2021
Published online: Nov 3, 2021
Published in print: Jan 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Apr 3, 2022
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