Fluctuations in water levels have a significant influence on the slope stability of natural slopes or water-retaining structures such as embankments. When dealing with a simple phreatic water level, a complex transient dewatering scheme or a seasonal water variation, PLAXIS provides many options to assist with such modelling. In this month’s Geotechnical Analysis Coffee Corner, we will:
present key aspects of conventional and unsaturated soil behaviour in PLAXIS
discuss key PLAXIS concepts for modelling groundwater flow in saturated and unsaturated soils
present the concept of a fully coupled flow-deformation analysis
examine how to perform a slope stability analysis during and after rapid drawdown