Influence of random heterogeneity of shear wave velocity on sliding mass response and seismic deformations of earth slopes

Soil shear wave velocity has been recognized as a governing parameter in the assessment of the seismic response of slopes. The spatial variability of soil shear wave velocity can influence the seismic response of sliding mass and seismic displacements. However, most analyses of sliding mass response have been carried out by deterministic models. This paper stochastically investigates the effect of random heterogeneity of shear wave velocity of soil on the dynamic response of sliding mass using the correlation matrix decomposition method and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The software FLAC 7.0 along with a Matlab code has been utilized for this purpose. The influence of statistical parameters on the seismic response of sliding mass and seismic displacements in earth slopes with different inclinations and stiffnesses subject to various earthquake shakings was investigated. The results indicated that, in general, the random heterogeneity of soil shear modulus can have a notable impact on the sliding mass response and that neglecting this phenomenon could lead to underestimation of sliding deformations.