Finite Element Evaluation of Pile-Reinforced Slopes Under Surcharge and Geometric Variations

Slope stability problems are among the most significant geotechnical issues encountered in natural slopes, highway projects, and embankment areas, posing serious engineering risks. Among the various stabilization techniques, pile-supported systems are widely preferred as effective improvement methods due to their ability to intercept potential slip surfaces, restrict soil movement, and provide additional resisting forces.In this study, the effects of different pile diameters on slope stability were comparatively investigated in order to improve slope stability performance. Within this scope, separate slope stability analyses were conducted for pile diameters of 0.6 m, 0.8 m, and 1.0 m. The analyses evaluated both the existing slope condition and the behavior of the slope after the implementation of pile-supported systems. Furthermore, for each pile diameter, slope behaviors with inclinations of 1 / 1.50 and 1 / 2.0 were examined under both surcharge-loaded and surcharge-free conditions.The analysis results indicated that increasing pile diameter led to significant improvements in slope stability, resulting in higher factors of safety and modifications in potential failure surfaces. However, surcharge loading adversely affected slope stability by reducing the factor of safety and triggering more critical failure mechanisms.The obtained findings demonstrate that the combined effects of pile diameter and loading conditions on slope stability should be evaluated together and provide significant contributions toward determining optimum engineering design solutions.