Stability tables for homogeneous earth slopes with benches

Abstract

Seven decades after the proposal of the first stability charts by Taylor (1937) many things have changed regarding the design and stability analysis of man-made slopes. High earth slopes with complex geometry (e.g. with benches) are often met in modern design practices, the stability analysis of which is based exclusively on relevant software. Despite of the wide use of computers in geotechnical engineering, stability charts and tables have been proved to be very useful in preliminary design and in checking software outcomes. Motivated by the above considerations, stability tables referring to homogeneous earth slopes with benches have been proposed. The tables in question deal with slopes having gradient 1:2, 1:1 or 2:1 (V:H) and 3- or 4-meter wide benches every 8 or 10m of slope height. The influence of groundwater on stability of slopes is also taken into account through the pore pressure ratio. In total, 2592 solutions were carried out using SLIDE™