Stability and Stress-Deformation Analyses of Reinforced Slope Failure at Yeager Airport
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VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper describes the material properties along with the inverse limit-equilibrium and permanent deformation analyses used to investigate the 2015 reinforced slope failure at the Yeager Airport near Charleston, West Virginia. Inverse two-dimensional (2D) limit-equilibrium analyses were first performed to evaluate laboratory-derived strength parameters, slope geometry, and soil reinforcement configuration that would reproduce the observed critical failure surface. Because of the shape of the reinforced soil slope (RSS) (outside radius), the impact of the direction of the uniaxial geogrid reinforcement, varying from parallel to almost perpendicular to the direction of sliding, was analyzed using a three-dimensional (3D) limit-equilibrium analysis. Finite-difference permanent deformation analyses were also conducted to understand the internal stresses and deformations of the RSS prior to failure and kinematics of the slope failure. The results of these various analyses are consistent with postfailure field observations and demonstrate the value of performing multiple types of analyses, e.g., 2D and 3D limit-equilibrium and permanent deformation analyses, when analyzing a complex slope failure.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the first author by request.
Acknowledgments
The contents and views in this paper are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of any of the represented corporations, contractors, agencies, consultants, organizations, and/or contributors including Yeager Airport. The authors would like to thank RocScience Inc. for providing access to the SLIDE3 software for this study and their technical support. The authors also acknowledge the assistance of Enok Cheon, who performed the 3D stability analyses using SLIDE3 while a graduate research assistant at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The third author also appreciates the financial support of the National Science Foundation (NSF Award CMMI-1562010). The contents and views in this paper are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 3 • March 2021
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 1, 2020
Accepted: Sep 15, 2020
Published online: Dec 28, 2020
Published in print: Mar 1, 2021
Discussion open until: May 28, 2021
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