Seepage and stability analysis of slope under the condition of snowmelt infiltration

In this paper,with reference to the statistics of relations of snow depth,temperature variation and snowmelt infiltration,the seepage field and stability under the different conditions of snow depth,temperature variation and slope angle are obtained by the method of FEM in unsaturated seepage.The results are summarized as follows: as to slopes of the same ratio,snowmelt infiltration coefficient,water content as well as pressure head within a certain range of the slope will increase with the rising of the snow depth.In cases that the snow depth is 1.0m,the vertical infiltration extent of snowmelt is up to 30.0m and the transient saturation water level of the slope rises as high as 13m;Under the same snow depth,the steeper the slope is,the less the snowmelt will infiltrate,the change of pressure head and water content of the slope will also be lessed.In addition,the vertical extent of snowmelt infiltration when the slope angle is 30° reaches 30.0m at the maximum point;Under the same snow depth and slope angle,snowmelt infiltration and head pressure are in positive correlation to temperature changes;As to the slope safety,stability coefficient decreases with the continuous melting of snow,and the more the snow depth,slope angle or temperature variation is,the sharper the amplitude of stability coefficient will reduce.Moreover,the slope angle is the factor which affects the slope safety most significantly,60° slope stability coefficient decreases by 9.7% when affected by the snowmelt infiltration.