A unified model for predicting earthquake-induced sliding displacements of rigid and flexible slopes

Permanent sliding displacement represents a common damage parameter for evaluating the seismic stability of slopes. Recently developed empirical models for the sliding displacement of shallow (rigid) sliding masses have demonstrated that including multiple ground motion parameters in the predictive model (e.g., peak ground acceleration and peak ground velocity) improves the displacement prediction and reduces it uncertainty. A unified framework is developed that extends these empirical displacement models for application to flexible sliding masses, where the dynamic response of the sliding mass is important. This framework includes predicting the seismic loading for the sliding mass in terms of the maximum seismic coefficient (kmax) and the maximum velocity of the seismic coefficient-time history (k–velmax). The predictive models are a function of the peak ground acceleration (PGA), peak ground velocity (PGV), the natural period of the sliding mass (Ts), and the mean period of the earthquake motion (Tm). The empirical predictive models for sliding displacement utilize kmax and k–velmax in lieu PGA and PGV, and include a term related to the natural period of the sliding mass. This unified framework provides a consistent approach for predicting the sliding displacement of rigid (Ts = 0) and flexible (Ts > 0) slopes.

Research Highlights
► We define the seismic loading parameters kmax and k-velmax for earth slopes.
► We develop a model to predict these parameters.
► We develop a sliding displacement model that incorporates kmax and k-velmax.
► These displacement models have less uncertainty than previous models.