This thesis numerically investigates the stability of heterogeneous granular embankment piles near operating quarries. A two-dimensional reference model founded on rigid bedrock was developed using Slide2 (Rocscience) and used as the analytical framework to examine the influence of geometric, mechanical, and hydraulic parameters on the factor of safety under both static and transient conditions.
Under static conditions, sensitivity analyses quantified the individual effects of apparent cohesion, internal friction angle, unit weight, and slope angle on the factor of safety. A Monte Carlo probabilistic framework complemented this deterministic approach by accounting for parameter uncertainty and providing a distribution of failure probabilities under realistic variability.
Transient simulations extended the analysis to rainfall-induced conditions, tracking the evolution of the factor of safety as pore water pressures developed over time. To isolate hydraulic effects, identical mechanical properties were assigned to three granular materials (gravel, sand, and silt), enabling a direct comparison of their hydraulic responses within the same model. The contribution of matric suction to stability was further assessed, and an equivalent cohesion was derived to represent suction effects in simplified analyses where unsaturated behavior is not explicitly modeled.
Overall, the results improve understanding of the key factors controlling the stability of granular embankments under hydraulic loading.
| Date | 5 Oct 2026 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Jonathan D. Aubertin (Supervisor) |
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Guebong Noah, G. (Author),
Aubertin, J. D. (Supervisor),
5 Oct 2026Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Construction Engineering