Assessment of slope stability influenced by vegetation cover and additional loads applied

Abstract

Assessment of slope stability influenced by vegetation cover and additional loads applied. The article presents the results of research conducted in order to create nomographs allowing assessment of slope stability. The proposed recommendations involve graphs and charts, where factor of safety (FOS) is computed in according to six different characteristics: slope height and angle, slope surface vegetation cover, applied surcharge, position of water table, soil mechanical conditions. For the purpose of the research several geotechnical models and approaches were used and became a basis for developing simplified method of predicting the failure of natural and engineered slopes. The advantage of the solutions presented is their simplicity of use; as further FOS calculations are not required during the complex assessment of slope stability