This paper proposes an improved discretization‐based kinematic approach (DKA) with an efficient and robust algorithm to investigate slope stability in nonuniform soils. In an effort to ensure rigorous upper‐bound solutions which may be not satisfied by the initial DKA based on a forward difference method (DKA‐FD), a central and backward difference “point‐to‐point” method (DKA‐CD and DKA‐BD) is proposed to generate discretized points to form a velocity discontinuity surface. Varying (including constant) soil frictional angles along depth are discussed, which can be readily considered in the improved DKA‐CD. Work rate calculations are performed to derive upper‐bound formulations of slope stability number, and critical failure surface is correspondingly obtained at limit state. The comparison with forward and backward difference methods clearly reveals that the improved DKA‐CD could significantly reduce the mesh‐dependency issue and enhance efficacy of slope stability analyses in nonuniform soils.

中文翻译：

---

一种改进的基于离散化的运动学方法，用于非均匀 c-φ 土坡稳定性分析


本文提出了一种改进的基于离散化的运动学方法（DKA），该方法具有高效且鲁棒的算法来研究不均匀土壤中的边坡稳定性。为了确保严格的上限解，基于前向差分法（DKA-FD）的初始 DKA 可能无法满足，中央和后向差分“点对点”方法（DKA-CD 和 DKA ‐BD）被提出来生成离散点以形成速度不连续面。讨论了沿深度变化的（包括恒定的）土壤摩擦角，这在改进的 DKA-CD 中很容易考虑。通过工作率计算得出边坡稳定数的上限公式，并相应地获得极限状态下的临界破坏面。与前向和后向差分方法的比较清楚地表明，改进的 DKA-CD 可以显着减少网格依赖性问题，并提高非均匀土中边坡稳定性分析的效率。