Effects of vertical seismic acceleration on 3D slope stability

The conventional pseudo-static approach often neglects the effect of the vertical＇ seismic acceleration on the stability of a slope, but some analyses under plane-strain （2D） conditions show a significant effect on the slope stability. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the vertical acceleration on the safety of three-dimensional （3D） slopes. In the strict framework of limit analysis, a 3D kinematically admissible rotational failure mechanism is adopted here for 3D homogeneous slopes in frictional/cohesive soils. A set of stability charts is presented in a wide range of parameters for 3D slopes under combined horizontal and vertical seismic loading conditions. Accounting for the effects of the vertical seismic acceleration, the difference in safety factors for 3D slopes can exceed 10%, which will significantly overestimate the safety of the 3D slopes.