Limit Analysis, Numerical and Physical Modelling of Pile Stabilized Slopes

Abstract Vast researches have been performed in the field of earth slope stability analysis including limit equilibrium, strength reduction, and limit analysis methods. All the available methods present slope safety factors in a range with a bit of difference and confirm each other. Validation of analytical results performs with instrumentation in actual slopes existing in the field. Also, another approach that uses for validating results is experimental modeling. The physical modeling requires manufacturing of the intended model in the laboratory concerning the reducing effect of dimensions on the other parameters. This paper investigates slope safety factors against sliding by simulating the slopes in the laboratory and with an image processing system. The test container has dimensions of 1.5×1.5×2 m. The results have illustrated the crest displacement in reinforced slope, with increasing slope angle 13 degrees, is 30 mm in the experimental test and 13 mm in numerical modeling. In the unreinforced slopes, when the slope angle increased by 8 degrees, the experiment test failed, and the factor of safety in the numerical modeling is less than one.