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Stability analysis of highly variable soils by elasto-plastic finite elements

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Advanced Numerical Applications and Plasticity in Geomechanics

Part of the book series: International Centre for Mechanical Sciences ((CISM,volume 426))

Abstract

Geotechnical analyses involving bearing capacity, excavation and slope stability of highly variable soils have been performed using elasto-plastic finite elements. The finite element analyses are validated against well-known solutions where possible, before being applied to more complicated problems in which the classical approaches are at best inconvenient, and at worst may lead to misleading results. The types of heterogeneity considered in this work include simple layering due to stratification, water table effects, voids due to excavation and variability based on a statistical description of the material properties. In the statistical approach, the results lead to a probabilistic interpretation of design parameters that have traditionally been dealt with using “average” soil properies in conjunction with a “Factor of Safety”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA

    D. V. Griffiths

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  1. D. V. Griffiths
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Colorado School of Mines, USA

    Vaughan D. Griffiths

  2. Politecnico di Milano, Italy

    Giancarlo Gioda

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Griffiths, D.V. (2001). Stability analysis of highly variable soils by elasto-plastic finite elements. In: Griffiths, V.D., Gioda, G. (eds) Advanced Numerical Applications and Plasticity in Geomechanics. International Centre for Mechanical Sciences, vol 426. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-2578-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-2578-6_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-83337-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-2578-6

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