Numerical Study on the Influence of Profile Shape on the Stability of a Nonhomogeneous Slope

To study the influence of profile shape on the stability of nonhomogeneous slopes, strip mechanical models of slopes with different profile shapes were established following the simplified Bishop method. Three hundred and seventy slope models with different profile shapes and strata sequences were simulated and analyzed with FLAC3D. The results show that slopes with weaker-to-stronger (WtS) strata sequences are, in most cases, more stable than slopes with stronger-to-weaker (StW) strata sequences when all other conditions are the same. Slopes with linear shapes are the most stable. With increasing arch height, the stability of convex slopes decreases, and the stability of concave slopes first increases slightly and then decreases. When the strata sequences are WtS, the factors of safety (FoSs) of slopes with convex and exterior polyline shapes decrease more slowly. However, when the strata sequences are StW, the FoSs of slopes with concave and interior polyline shapes decrease more slowly. The greatest X-displacements are concentrated in the steeper areas of the slopes. For different strata sequences, the higher the rock strength at the steeper position is, the more stable the slope is, and the opposite trend is also observed. For the same strata sequence, the stability of a polyline-shaped slope is always better than that of a curved slope with the same inflection point.