Local minimum factor-of-safety method based on limit equilibrium theory

Local minimum factor of safety method is developed in this paper based on the principle of limit equilibrium and Mohr Coulomb failure criterion, using the idea of optimal control theory and considering kinematic admission conditions sufficiently. This new method satisfies force and moment equilibrium conditions of slices and is consistent with the mechanical and physical aspects of the slope stability problem. It ensures that solutions are kinematically admissible and that difficulties about numerical computation do not appear. It can determine critical slip surface and compute the minimum safety factor and can determine the positions of normal forces acting on base and interface of slices,and then it eliminates some relevant man made assumptions that are used now in the limit equilibrium method of slope stability analysis. The computation and comparison of examples in literature indicate that the method in the paper is logical and reliable.