Open AccessEarthquake resistant design of cohesive earth slopes
Author(s) -
Geoffrey R. Martin,
Peter W. Taylor
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
bulletin of the new zealand society for earthquake engineering/nzsee quarterly bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.917
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2324-1543
pISSN - 1174-9857
DOI - 10.5459/bnzsee.4.1.51-72
Subject(s) - geotechnical engineering , geology , earthquake resistance , judgement , seismic analysis , slope stability , engineering , structural engineering , political science , law
As many major slope failures have occurred
during medium and strong earthquakes, the
assessment of the seismic stability of slopes in earthquake-prone areas is of great concern to engineers. Prior to 1964, little attention was
given to the development of rational aseismic
design methods for earth slopes. Most design
methods were based on a static analysis used
in conjunction with an arbitrarily selected
lateral force acting on the slope with soil
strengths determined by conventional laboratory
tests. However, the catastrophic slope failures
which occurred during the Alaskan earthquake of 1964, resulted in a considerable reappraisal of
such static design methods. In recent years
significant progress has been made in developing
new methods of laboratory testing to determine dynamic soil properties, improved techniques of analysing the dynamic response of slopes and embankments to earthquakes, and new concepts of aseismic design methods for earth slopes. Although research has yet to provide all the answers, the current state of knowledge at least provides an improved guide to engineering judgement in the assessment of the stability of earth slopes during earthquakes.