ISSN 2319-5347, ISI Impact Factor: 0.763

VOLUME 05 NO. 03 JULY 2016:

Title:           Stability analysis of reinforcement slope using FEM
Authors:     Zarif Khan, Amjad Naseer, Muhammad Ashraf, Eid Badshah
Abstract: High and steep cut slopes due to excavation are a common sight in building high grade throughways. Currently, the usage of steel bars as reinforcement is increasingly becoming widespread in engineering practice. This paper studies the performance of reinforced slope under varying reinforcing bar inclination angle, slope angle, reinforcing bar number and spacing of reinforcing bars in regular, random and group forms using the finite element method (FEM). The geometric model of slope is arbitrary created with the variation of soil properties. The mesh effect is studied to ensure that the numerical solution by FEM converges. From the analyses, it is noted that mixed mesh is computationally efficient than that of 6-node triangular element. The factor of safety of reinforced slope increases with the increase of reinforcing bar inclination angle with respect to the horizontal axis which is followed by a decrease in the factor of safety with the further increase in reinforcing bar inclination angle. The maximum value of the factor of safety is a function of the slope angle. The relationship between reinforcing bar inclination angle and slope angle for maximum factor of safety is nonlinear. The maximum factor of safety of reinforced slope is possible when the bar inclination angle lies between 10° to 15° for the geometric model, soil and reinforcing bar properties considered in the present study. Maximum factor of safety is likely when equal spacing is adopted in reinforcing a slope. Group spacing also yields elevated factor of safety compared to that for the random spacing of reinforcing bar.

Keywords:  Slope stability, Reinforcing bar, Mesh effect, Reinforcing bar inclination angle, Group spacing.
Pages:         83-88

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