Scholarly record

PROPOSED ANALYTICAL MODEL OF THE FAILURE SURFACE OF A LANDSLIDE IN COHESIVE SOILS BASED ON THE MASLOV MODEL

Matei-Stelian Serbulea, Elena-Ioana Serbulea, Ruxandra-Irina Erbasu, Ana-Maria Ghita, Manole-Stelian Serbulea

Abstract

The paper presents a proposed method for determining the failure surface of a landslide based on Maslov?s method. Maslov?s approach defines the stable slope inclination by accounting for the additional apparent stability provided by cohesion, compared with the infinite-slope model for a cohesionless soil mass. The original formulation considers a uniform slope and relates the stable inclination to the maximum stress acting at the toe of the soil mass. However, when Maslov?s equation is applied progressively from the toe of the slope toward the crest, the resulting failure surface develops a distinct curved shape. The curve tends to have a tangent inclined approximately at the angle of internal friction near the toe, while approaching an almost vertical tangent near the crest. This behavior is explained by the variation of overburden stress along the slope. Near the crest, the vertical surcharge or local overburden stress tends toward zero. Consequently, the cohesion term becomes dominant, and the tangent of the corresponding stable inclination tends toward infinity, meaning that the stable inclination approaches a right angle. Near the toe, where the soil thickness and confining stress are larger, the influence of cohesion is reduced, and the tangent of the failure surface may approach that associated with the angle of internal friction. The model proposed in this paper defines the failure surface by calculating the local stable inclination at each point along the potential sliding surface. This inclination depends on the local surcharge, which is governed by the actual geometry of the slope surface and the corresponding soil cover above the considered point. The method may be useful for rapid preliminary assessment of slope stability and for back-analysis of landslides, especially where the observed failure mechanism suggests a non-circular surface controlled by the spatial variation of stress within the slope. The paper compares the proposed analytical method with established approaches, specifically the limit equilibrium method using a circular failure surface and finite element analysis of the soil mass.

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