On the variability of the effective friction angle of Saint Lucian soils: investigations through a laboratory database

For assessment of slope stability in data‐scarce regions prone to natural hazards, modelling relies, to a large degree, on estimates of the effective friction angle. Using a database, comprising soil data from Saint Lucia in the Eastern Caribbean, both simple regression and multiple linear regression analysis were performed. These analyses correlate various basic soil parameters with the effective friction angle measurements contained in the database. The developed statistical relationships are then employed for the estimation of the effective friction angle for use in a slope stability simulation scenario. These analyses show the narrowing of the expected range of results for the slope factor of safety when more soil parameters are used in the estimation of effective friction angle.