ABSTRACT
Stability analyses by the finite element method for slopes in soft clays with strainsoftening behavior are an important tool for a better understanding of the behavior of soft clays when compared to limit equilibrium methods. In finite element analyses, the post-peak residual stresses are activated when the deformations corresponding to the maximum peak stresses are exceeded, what is not possible to account for in limit equilibrium analyses. Vane tests performed in slopes of soft soils in the Amazon River indicated strain-softening behavior in the investigated clays. Three-dimensional analyses by the finite element method were performed with the aid of RS3 software for a slope in soft clay considering the loss of post-peak strength. The Mohr-Cou-lomb model with post-peak residual strength and the influence of stepwise loading stages were considered in the analyses. The results obtained by RS3 accounting for strain softening show an important decrease in the safety factor comparably to SLIDE 3.
