A reliability based approach for evaluating the slope stability of embankment dams

Embankment dams are important and costly civil engineering structures that provide an essential infrastructure for the management of water. One of the critical aspects of dam design is the analysis of stability and safety of the earth structure under various operating and environmental conditions. T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Engineering geology 1999-10, Vol.54 (3), p.271-285
Main Authors: Liang, R.Y., Nusier, O.K., Malkawi, A.H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Buildings. Public works
Civil engineering
Computer programs
Dam engineering
Dams
Dams and subsidiary installations
Earthwork. Foundations. Retaining walls
Embankments
Exact sciences and technology
Failure
Geology
Geotechnics
Hydraulic constructions
Indexes
Infrastructure
Management
Mathematical analysis
Mathematical models
Normal distribution
Porosity
Probability
Probability theory
Reliability
Safety
Slope
Stability
Streets
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Summary:Embankment dams are important and costly civil engineering structures that provide an essential infrastructure for the management of water. One of the critical aspects of dam design is the analysis of stability and safety of the earth structure under various operating and environmental conditions. Traditionally, a deterministic approach is used for such analysis. However, the determination of variables such as soil strength parameters, pore pressure and other pertinent properties involves uncertainties, which cannot be handled in the traditional deterministic methods. It is, therefore, highly desirable to develop a reliability based analytical/numerical methodology for stability analysis of dams taking into account these uncertainties. Reliability and probability theories are developed in this paper for assessing the reliability index and the corresponding probability of failure of multi-layered embankment dams and slopes. Two definitions were used to calculate the reliability index (i.e. the normal distribution and the log–normal distribution). The computer program reslop was developed and validated by the Congress Street open cut failure case. The developed approach was used to study the stability of the King Talal embankment dam. The results are discussed and conclusions drawn.
ISSN:0013-7952
1872-6917
DOI:10.1016/S0013-7952(99)00017-4