Abstract
The slope stability is conventionally evaluated by limit equilibrium methods. However, it is not clearly known whether limit equilibrium methods can calculate a reliable safety factor for slopes with complex geometries. Additionally, it has been pointed out that the safety factor of Fellenius' and Bishop's simplified methods where a circular slip surface is assumed, which are usually used in a conventional design, is not so reliable for some slopes with complex geometries. In this paper, the elasto-plastic FEM was used to calculate the safety factor of slope for some examples reported in literatures, and the safety factor of FEM was compared with that of limit equilibrium methods. This study indicates that it is effective for the elasto-plastic FEM to calculate the safety factor for slopes with complex geometries.
