Displacement based multiple wedge slope stability analysis

A method of slope stability analysis based upon multiple wedges is developed, accounting for kinematics in a similar way to proposals by [Srbulov M. On the influence of soil strength brittleness and nonlinearity on slope stability. Comput Geotech 1997;20(1):95--104] and [Donald IB, Chen Z. Modern wedge methods of slope analysis – their power and their versatility. In: Second international conference on landslides, slope stability & the safety of infra-structures; 1999. p. 13–24]. Instead of relying on almost arbitrary assumptions about stresses on wedge or slice boundaries to demonstrate an equilibrium of both forces and moments, the method works from simple assumptions about the kinematics of movement, increasing displacements and hence resisting forces iteratively until force equilibrium is attained. The procedure is simple and efficient, and ensures that inter-wedge forces developed by the movement are consistent with the shape of the sliding surface.