PREDICTION OF DISPLACEMENTS OF A CREEPING NATURAL SLOPE BY A VISCO-PLASTIC MODEL

Abstract

The term creep refers to the very slow movement of soil in natural slopes caused by gravity associated with environmental factors. This phenomenon can precede faster landslides and lead to economic, social and environmental damages. Thus, the importance of risk assessment through analysis, modeling and prediction of the movement to ensure the security of the region and urban planning. For this purpose, conventional limit equilibrium analyzes are not suitable, since the soil is now in motion. Thereby this paper aims to analyze the dynamic behavior of a creeping natural slope in Serra do Mar (Brazil) with available monitoring data using a visco-plastic model based on the viscous model of Bingham. The dynamic analysis intended to determine the viscosity parameter by comparing the modeled and measured displacements and it was found a good similarity between them. The analysis was limited to a single point in the sliding surface, but it was possible to verify the viscosity role in the creep deformation mechanism and also the importance of the study of soil rheological behavior to predict the movements of creeping natural slopes over time. Keywords: Creep, Dynamic Analysis, Visco-Plastic Model.