Slope Stability Analysis Based on the Explicit Smoothed Particle Finite Element Method

Xichun Jia, Xuebing Jiang, Jun Huang, Shunchao Yu () and Bingjun Liu ()
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Xichun Jia: School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Xuebing Jiang: Pearl River Water Resources Research Institute, Pearl River Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources, Guangzhou 510610, China
Jun Huang: Pearl River Water Resources Research Institute, Pearl River Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources, Guangzhou 510610, China
Shunchao Yu: Pearl River Water Resources Research Institute, Pearl River Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources, Guangzhou 510610, China
Bingjun Liu: School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-21

Abstract: A landslide is a common natural disaster that causes environmental damage, casualties and economic losses, which seriously affects the sustainable development of society. In geomechanics, it is one of the largest deformation problems. Herein, the GPU-accelerated explicit smoothed particle finite element method (eSPFEM) for large deformation analysis in geomechanics was developed on the CUDA platform based on high-performance computing using a self-designed eSPFEM program code. The eSPFEM combines the strain smoothing nodal integration techniques found in the particle finite element method (PFEM) framework, which allows for the use of low-order triangular elements without volume locking and avoids frequent information transfer and mapping errors between Gaussian points and particles in PFEM. A numerical simulation of slope instability using the eSPFEM and based on a strength reduction technique was conducted using various examples, including a cohesive homogeneous slope, a non-cohesive homogeneous slope, a non-homogeneous slope and a slope with a thin soft band. The calculation results show that the eSPFEM can be applied to slope stability analysis under different working conditions, simulating the entire process of slope instability initiation, sliding and reaccumulation, and obtaining reliable FOS values. A numerical simulation was conducted to analyse a landslide that occurred in the Zhangjiazhuang tunnel on the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed railway line on 18 January 2016. A natural unsaturated soil slope, a soil slope with a high moisture content and a soil slope with a high moisture content subjected to an earthquake were analysed. The findings of this study are in good agreement with the actual slope failure conditions. The primary triggers identified for the landslide were heavy rainfall and earthquakes. The verification results indicate that the eSPFEM can effectively simulate an actual landslide case, showcasing high accuracy and applicability in simulating the large deformation behaviour of landslides.

Keywords: explicit smoothed particle finite element method; large deformation; landslide; strength reduction technique; factor of safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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