Analysis of the Effect of Pile Arrangement on Soil Slope Stability during Earth-quakes

Introduction. Natural and man-made slopes may lose stability in the event of change of the physical and mechanical properties of soils, seismic impact or additional loading. This often leads to the activation of landslide processes, damage of buildings, structures, roads and poses a threat to the safety and lives of people. Slopes in earthquake-prone places are the most dangerous and difficult for ensuring stability areas, therefore improving methods of engineering protection of slopes remains a relevant objective. The article studies the physical and numerical modeling of a sandy slope anchored by piles under the seismic impacts.

Materials and Methods. The paper uses the numerical methods to study the effect of earthquakes on sandy soil slopes reinforced with piles. The finite element method (FEM) is a widely used method for studying the interaction of structures and soil, especially in the complex combinations of loads and impacts. It accurately reproduces the complex behaviour of the massif, including stresses, deformations, horizontal and vertical displacements, as well as the nature of the collapse observed in the slope-pile system when it is subjected to seismic loads. The simulation of the specified above system is performed in a nonlinear formulation.

Results. The work of the pile allows transferring the part of the weight of the surface layers of the slope to deeper and more stable layers, which helps to maintain the stability of the slope. The parameters of the piles affecting the perception of seismic loads and the stability of a reinforced slope, including the type of pile, the method of its construction, earth[1]quake and slope parameters, are studied. The conducted study of the interaction of piles and dynamic loads makes it possible to improve design solutions for engineering protection of slopes from landslide processes in seismic places.

Discussion and Conclusion. As a result of modeling, it was found that piles can reduce lateral pressure on the soil, increase the shear strength of the soil and significantly affect the stability of the slope, especially in the event of an earthquake or flood. However, the efficiency of stabilization with piles depends on several factors, such as stiffness, distance between the piles, their length, location on the slope and connection to the foundation.

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