Introduction

Piles can be used to stabilize a slope under certain circumstances. Analyzing the effect of piles on stability using SLOPE/W requires knowledge of the shear mobilized within the piles. This is a difficult value to determine because the bending moments and shear stresses within the pile depend on the stress-strain characteristics of the soil, geometry and structural properties of the piles, and depth of installation. SLOPE/W cannot consider these factors. The alternative approach requires a soil-structure interaction analysis using SIGMA/W.

This example illustrates how to model the stabilizing effect of a sheet pile wall on a marginally stable slope using the Strength Reduction Stability (SRS) analysis in SIGMA/W.