Study On Energy Method For Embankment Stability Analysis On Soft Ground

Energy method is another way to analyze slope stability ever since the vertical slice method. Compared with the traditional vertical slice method, energy method doesn't need to give any assumption about the inter-slice forces, and has much more theory foundation. In fact, it is the numerical application base on the plastic upper bound solutions and satisfies the solid mechanics condition of statics balance, displacement compatibility and constitutive relationship. However, it is nessisary that the energy method should be improved when analyzing the slope stability of embankment on the soft ground, because the factor of the increasing consolidation strength should be considered.Excess pore-water pressure dissipation is taken into account in the strength used in the energy method during constructing of an embankment on the soft ground. Meanwhile, some complex situation is considered, included multi-level loading, complicated slope shape and combined slip surface. As a result, a program was established by Visual Basic 6.0. What's more, the following aspects have been considered:(1) A module for energy method to calculate the increasing consolidation strength in the soft soil;(2) A module for geometric handling and verifying to consider the complicated slope shape;(3) A module for combined slip surface;(4) A module for implicit solution to calculate the safety factor;(5) A module for the optimization by means of random searching and Powell method.Compared with the results of slope analysis of several cases of projects with energymethod and classical method, it is obvious that the suggested method and concerned programme give a reansonable conclusion and the improvement to the energy method is feasible.