Slope stability analysis by strength reduction elasto-plastic FEM

An strength reduction technique combined with elasto-plastic Finite Element Method (FEM)is applied in the analysis of slope stability in this paper The authors present a well-defined total equivalent plastic strain (TEPS) zone as the failure criterion when it running through the bottom to the top of a slope. Based on non-linear FEM and computed displacement technique, the result of elasto-plastic FEM analysis could be displayed, which makes the conception of slope failure more clear. Moreover, according to TEPS zone, the position of sliding face and the safety coefficient also can be obtained. The calculated result of the example proves the presented method is more effective in analyzing the stability of slope, which offers a new thinking for the analysis of slope stability, and can be wildly applied to slope engineering practices.