Slope stability analysis: Barodesy vs linear elastic – Perfectly plastic models

The results of slope stability analysis are not unique. Different factors of safety are obtained investigating the same slope. The differences result from different constitutive models including different failure surfaces. In this contribution, different strength reduction techniques for two different constitutive models (linear elastic - perfectly plastic model using a Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion and barodesy) have been investigated on slope stability calculations for two different slope inclinations. The parameters for Mohr – Coulomb are calibrated on peak states of element tests simulated with barodesy for different void ratios. For both slopes the predictions of the factors of safety are higher with barodesy than with Mohr-Coulomb. The difference is to some extend explained by the different shapes of failure surfaces and thus different values for peak strength under plane strain conditions. The plane strain predictions of Mohr-Coulomb are conservative compared to barodesy, where the failure surface coincides with Matsuoka-Nakai.