Applying catastrophe theory to slope reliability analysis

摘要

In reliability analysis of slopes, traditional method of building limit equilibrium equation is of using rigid limit equilibrium theory, but this safety factor method has its own defects. Thereby, a new method of reliability analysis for the planar slip surface is presented based on the cusp catastrophe theory in mathematics which creates a new path for studying the reliability problems of linear slip surface. As a typical example, the means has been applied to an engineering project, the application indicates the result calculated by the traditional model is lower than that by catastrophic model. This is because that catastrophe model takes for a slope in the limit equilibrium state either slipping or not, but traditional safety factor method regards a slope certainly starts slipping when it arrives the state of limit equilibrium. Therefore, catastrophe model can reflect the real situation better.