Theoretical Basis for the Calculation of Slope Safety

Abstract

As outlined in 1.1, there are an extraordinary variety of effects that may cause a landslide, so preconditions for the stability of a slope escape strictly theoretical calculations. Calculations of slope safety will meet the objective only if exact data on marginal conditions and accurate soil-mechanical analyses are available. Of course, one must also remain aware of the fact that small irregularities and inhomogeneities in the soil, which were not discovered during soil exploration, may render the results of the calculation completely invalid. Such factors of disturbance are, for example, thin, water-bearing layers, slip surfaces of previous slides, and fine fissures and cracks with different courses. Nonetheless, some basic calculation methods for the determination of safety (Colleselli, 1977; Soos, 1970) are presented below.