Geotechnical Slope Analysis

Dr. Robin Chowdhury is well known internationally as a geotechnical engineer and scholar, and is Emeritus Professor at the University of Wollongong, Australia. He completed his PhD at the University of Liverpool, UK in 1970 and has devoted more than three decades to teaching, research and scholarship. His early work was concerned with factors influencing slope stability, landslide occurrence and mechanisms and with the concepts and methods of deterministic geotechnical analysis. Subsequently he devoted considerable attention to the development and application of probabilistic approaches and reliability analysis. He also made a sustained contribution to the understanding and simulation of progressive failure. In recent years Robin has emphasized the linking and integration of regional slope studies with site-specific slope engineering assessments. He has also advocated the adoption of an interdisciplinary approach for geotechnical engineering projects and, in particular, for landslide management. His recent work has been concerned with the assessment of geotechnical hazard and risk as well as with observational approaches which include modern methods of field monitoring.Dr. Phil Flentje is a recognised expert in Slope Engineering and Landslide Management, and a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Wollongong, Australia. His education and training is in Engineering Geology and Geotechnical Engineering. He completed his PhD at the University of Wollongong (NSW, Australia) in 1998. He developed a comprehensive GIS-based approach for regional studies concerning the occurrence, frequency and impact of landslides. In his subsequent work he has developed models for the use of landslide inventories, the assessment of landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk. His current activities include webbased real-time monitoring of slope deformations, pore pressures and associated structural displacements as part of a regional assessment of landslide activity and frequency. His research also embraces analysis of rainfall with its spatial and temporal variability and landslide-triggering rainfall thresholds/alerts.Dr. Gautam Bhattacharya is an experienced academic and researcher, and currently the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, BESU, Shibpur, and also the Vice-Chairman, Calcutta Chapter of the Indian Geotechnical Society. His interest in the subject of slope stability developed during his doctoral research at IIT Kanpur (1985–1990). His thesis was concerned with the application of numerical methods in slope analysis. He has since been engaged in teaching this subject and in pursuing research on both deterministic and probabilistic approaches of analysis of unreinforced and reinforced slopes under static and seismic conditions. He has teaching, research and consultancy experience in the field of geotechnical engineering for about three decades.

"An easy to read and comprehensive coverage of the subject matter. The brief examples and case studies are very helpful and facilitate teaching in schools, in short course and self-learning by practitioners. It moreover addresses a variety of common questions readers could have concering slope analysis. A little voluminous, it could still be used as a textbook; for sure its comprehensive coverage makes it work very well as a reference." Prof. Wilson H. Tang, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology"The authors should be congratulated for compiling the information on the subject matter in an extremely meticulous manner ... I certainly recommend this book as a reference for all those associated with the geotechnical engineering profession. Its strength is the discussion on earthquake effects, probabilistic approaches and reliability analysis, and the choice between various methods of analysis." Prof. Devendra Narain Singh, Indian Inst. of Technology, Mumbai, India"I have yet to see a book that excels the range and depth of the new arrival-Geotechnical Slope Analysis. Upon a quick scan, I have failed to find a topic which is not covered and that kind of coverage makes the book almost a single window outlet for the whole range of readership from students to experts and from theoreticians to practicing engineers. At least three things standout upon a second scan. Good teachers will find enough ammunition in this book to teach better. Poor teachers will improve upon their teaching, and those who are unaware of the multi-dimensional aspects of geotechnical concepts and content in slope engineering will find the right road." Prof. R.K.Bhandari, New Delhi, India"The experience of the authors, drawing on research over many years, has resulted in an essential volume on theory and pracice, of value to both researchers and practising geotechnical engineers involved with studies of slopes and their mechanicsms of failure." Dr Robin McInnes OBE FICE FGS FRSA"I believe this book contains a great deal of useful information and forms a valuable reference source. I will be pleased to have it on my bookshelf."Laurie Wesley, New Zealand Geomechanics News, June 2010, issue 79, p. 20.

• 1. Aims and overview – slopes, geology and materials; 2. Basic geotechnical concepts; 3. Performance indicators and basic probability concepts; 4. Limit equilibrium methods I – planar failure surfaces; 5. Limit equilibrium methods II – general slip surfaces and beyond critical equilibrium; 6. Stress-deformation analyses and their role in slope analysis; 7. Natural slope analysis considering initial stresses; 8. Plasticity and shear band analyses – a brief review; 9. Earthquake effects and seismic slope analysis; 10. Probabilistic approaches and reliability analyses; 11. Case studies of urban slope stability; 12. Summing up; References; Subject index; Colour plates