96 Stochastic Finite Element Method for Slope Stability with Solid-Fluid Interaction
-
Published:2009
Download citation file:
The parameters of the rock and soils with spatial variation in the slope is considered in the paper and treated as random field. The random field is spatially scattered into random field meshes, then the means, the variance of the parameters in each elements and the covariance between parameters in different elements are computed with a locally averaging method. The Interaction between the underground water and the rock and soils in the slope is described with the Biot Consolidation equations. The coupled process of the solid and fluid interaction is simulated with stochastic finite element method, which computes the means, the variances and the covariance of the stress, the deformation and the pore pressure in the slope. The limit state function of the elements in the potential sliding surface is proposed basing on the Mohr-Coulomb yielding criterion. Since the potential sliding surface consists of many elements, its limit state function is treated as the sum of the limit state functions of the elements it crossing through. Then, the reliability index and the corresponding failure probability of the potential sliding surface are computed basing one the theory of reliability. A highway slope is taken as case study, where the reliability index and the corresponding failure probability are computed in both case of coupled and uncoupled process between the underground water and the soils in the slope with random parameters. Computed results prove that failure probability is higher in the coupled case, which is in coincidence with the facts in geotechnical engineering.