SEISMIC STABILITY OF COHESIONLESS SLOPES

Abstract

Reported are the results of investigations carried out to study the behaviour of cohesionless slopes under seismic condition. Seismic effect is assumed to be represented by the application of a horizontal acceleration harmonic in nature. The study includes analytical work and experiments in laboratory to verify it. In analytical work computations for displacements of the sliding wedge have been made with the approach suggested by Goodman and Seed (1966) and thereafter deformed profile of the slopes have been obtained with rigid body concept. In the laboratory, the different slopes with cohesionless material were constructed inside a steel tank with glass fitted on one side. This box was moljnted on the horizontal shaking table. The table was vibrated at different accelerations by varying the amplitude and frequency of motion and the slope. deformations were observed at different number of cycles. On comparing the deformed shapes of the slope profiles obtained by analytical work and that observed by experiments, it was found that there is marked diffel'cnce between the two. The deformations obtained by analytical work are more than the observed ones. An approach to estimate the material.repuired to repair the deformed shape of slope has also been indicated.