Eva Panulinova

Slope stability is a critical and extensively researched topic that is important in structural design, especially when slopes are located near residential or civil engineering structures, as human lives are at risk. This paper presents a detailed analysis and evaluation of slope stability, synthesizing current understanding of slope behaviour, soil shear strength parameters, and the methodologies applied in stability assessment. In the conducted parametric study, the stability of slopes composed of fine-grained soils was investigated using both the limit equilibrium method (LEM) and the finite element method (FEM). The principal objective of the research was to assess the influence of soil shear strength parameters on the resulting factor of safety (FoS), while also accounting for variations in slope height. The results of the study show that an increase in soil shear strength parameters leads to a linear increase in FoS, with this relationship being more pronounced for changes in soil cohesion than for changes in the angle of internal friction. The effect of shear strength variations on stability is more pronounced in slopes of smaller height. Furthermore, the comparative analysis indicates that LEM provides more conservative estimates of slope stability in comparison with FEM.

Aquatic vegetation can influence hydraulic performance in channels, rivers, and floodplains. Most previous studies used cylindrical stems to simulate vegetation, while few studies used shrub-like or sedge structures that exhibited a maximum width near the top of the vegetation. In contrast, this research focuses on shrub-like structures that show a maximum width near the bottom of the vegetation. To understand the effects of aquatic vegetation on velocity distribution, water surface profile, and energy loss, experiments have been conducted in an open channel with a rectangular cross-section. The results indicated that the streamwise velocity within the lower layer remains nearly constant with depth where z/y is less than 0.20. However, once z/y exceeds 0.20, the streamwise velocity increases rapidly as the depth increases toward the water surface. Additionally, the shape of the vegetation influences the position of the inflection point. Moreover, the water level rises upstream of the vegetated area, decreases within it, and gradually returns to the normal depth downstream. The bed slope has little effect on relative energy loss, with maximum values reaching 6.61%, while the presence of vegetation leads to a significant increase, reaching up to 22.51%. The relative energy loss increases with a higher submerged ratio. A new empirical equation is proposed to estimate the relative energy loss in vegetated channels.

Aquatic vegetation can influence hydraulic performance in channels, rivers and floodplains. Most previous studies used cylindrical stems to simulate vegetation, while few studies used shrub-like or sedge structures that exhibited a maximum width near the top of the vegetation. In contrast, this research focuses on shrub-like structures that show a maximum width near the bottom of the vegetation. To understand the effects of aquatic vegetation on velocity distribution, water surface profile, and energy loss, experiments have been conducted in an open channel with a rectangular cross-section. The results indicated that the streamwise velocity within the lower layer remains nearly constant with depth where z/y is less than 0.20. However, once z/y exceeds 0.20, the streamwise velocity increases rapidly as the depth increases toward the water surface. Additionally, the shape of the vegetation influences the position of the inflection point. Moreover, the water level rises upstream of the vegetated area, decreases within it, and gradually returns to the normal depth downstream. The bed slope has little effect on relative energy loss, with maximum values reaching 6.61%, while the presence of vegetation leads to a significant increase, reaching up to 22.51%. The relative energy loss increases with a higher submerged ratio. A new empirical equation is proposed to estimate the relative energy loss in vegetated channels.

The paper presents the modelling and assessment of a road embankment body after different construction phases using the finite element method (FEM) and the limi The paper presents the modelling and assessment of a road embankment body after different construction phases using the finite element method (FEM) and the limi