On the improvement of PSO scripts for slope stability analysis

Abstract

Landslide is a frequently repeated problem in many part of the world. This study follows up on a 2015 study, which used the PSO to optimize the STABL program in the slope stability analysis and found the best result in the literature (factor of safety = 1.238). In the current study, a modification of the PSO scripts was proposed and two new parameters (cohesion intercept and frictional angle) were added to the analysis to examine the effect of soil strength parameters. Assuming a negative correlation, it was found that the cohesion intercept had a bigger influence than the frictional angle on the final outcome in the analysis of a sample homogeneous soil slope. The addition of new parameters also reduced the FS of the optimized sliding surface.