Long-Term Stability of Clay Slopes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Long-Term Stability of Clay Slopes - Essay ExampleIn graze to describe the long term stability of dust slopes, this paper will look at factors that make slopes become unstable everywheretime the measurement of the imbalance impact of long-term stability and the prevention of instability of body slopes.To begin with, long term stability of clay slopes is influenced by several motilitys which as argon embedded in two major factors. These main factors, according to Price (1984) and Ritter (1986, p 121) are snip stress and shear strength. Shear stress refers to the forces that cause movement of materials down slope bit shear strength is the force that resists materials from moving down the slope. These forces oppose each other in the sense that, while shear stress wants movement of material to commence, shears strength refuses. This means that movement will only occur when shear stress exceeds shear strength. Otherwise, ilk Sparks (1964, p 56) puts it, in uniform material, shear stress and shear strength may remain comparatively uniform.It is worth noting that shear stress has several complex components that make it provoke movement of material down slope. Ritter (1986, p 121) outlines material internal friction characteristics material normal stress and material normal coherency as factors that determine stability of shear stress. Any drop or increase in these factors may alter shear stress. Internal friction is kick upstairs broken down into plane friction (produced when one grain of soil slides past another) and interlocking friction (which originates when particles are required to move upwards and over one another. Secondly, Ritter (1986, p.122) further states that effective normal stress has the capacity to hold the material together, thereby increasing internal resistance to shear. It acts perpendicular to a shear surface and is absorbed by the underlying slab at the point of contact between grains. It should also be noted that some of the shear su rface is usually occupied by openings which are filled with air or irrigate. And since pore pressure exists in these interstitial spaces, it tends to support part of the normal stress.Thirdly, Ritter (1986, p.123) further states that clay soils have cohesion, which comes as a result of ions and water by clay minerals, thereby creating a binding structure among particles. Unfortunately though, cohesion decreases with increased water acquisition in the soil material. Clay cohesive strength very much depends on attractive forces between the particles and the lubricating action of the interstitial liquid. The more the clay acquires water, the more the slope becomes unstable. However, it should be noted that the rate at which the slope gains more water and the water drains away determines the time the slope should become unstable. For example, unfluctuating gaining and dumb draining of water on a particular slope will make the slope fail very fast. On the other hand, slow gaining a nd fast draining of water will make the slope remain stable for some time. Where clay soils remains in an undisturbed normal cohesive strength, long-term slope stability will be evident. Sparks (1964, p 57) agrees with the above statement and adds that cohesive strength increases with depth thereby exceeding shear stress, then surface mantle (slope material) is the one to be more unstable. As more water is added , cohesion decreases and when all pores are filled, any further input of water results in complete