MUET logo

Slope Stability Assessment Using Drains: A PLAXIS 2D Analysis at MUET, Jamshoro

Authors

  • Faizan Ali Abro

    Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan
    Author

  • Zaheer Ahmed Almani

    Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan
    Author

  • Muhammad Rehan Hakro

    Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan
    Author

  • Saquaib Mustafa Almani

    Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan
    Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22581/0608

Keywords:

Slope Stability, Rainfall, Numerical Modeling, PLAXIS-2D, Horizontal Drains, Factor of Safety (FOS)

Abstract

This research investigation evaluates the slope stability of the road that is adjacent to Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), Jamshoro's administration building. The region’s steep topography and unpredictable rainfall can lead to slope failure and damage infrastructure. To evaluate the road slope’s performance, PLAXIS-2D (finite element modelling software for geotechnical analysis) was used for precise simulations. The analysis demonstrated that even in dry weather, the slope had a relatively low Factor of Safety (FOS), i.e., 1.238, due to its steep gradient and its considerable height. The FOS further decreased to 1.002 when it was exposed to rainfall intensity of 0.06 m/day (2.5 mm/hr), which implies that it is at risk of failure. Excessive pore water pressure was found to be one of the causes of instability, and traffic loads only aggravated the situation, contributing to deformation. Horizontal drains were used to stabilize road slope. Different configurations were tested, and the best results were obtained when drains were installed at 1 m spacing across the full width and depth of the road slope, starting from its base. This arrangement successfully reduced excessive pore pressure and restored stability to a safer level. However, the FOS of 1.11 was achieved, and it is only enough to solve rainfall-induced instability; it was insufficient to address other factors that cause slope instability, such as heavy traffic loading or seismic activity. Therefore, to improve further stability, the road slope should be flattened with sandy material by obtaining from riverbeds or other sources. This approach involves removing existing ripraps, adding fresh materials to level the slope while maintaining quality control, and then reconstructing the riprap. Additionally, combining these precautions with horizontal drains has the potential to raise the factor of safety above 2, offering further protection against slope failure under many different situations.

Downloads

Author Biographies

  • Faizan Ali Abro, Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan

    Post-Graduate from Geotechnical and Highway Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro

  • Zaheer Ahmed Almani, Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan

    Professor in Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro

  • Muhammad Rehan Hakro, Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan

    Lecturer in Civil Engineering Department, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro

  • Saquaib Mustafa Almani, Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan

    Post-Graduate from Geotechnical and Highway Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro

References

[1] M. Mokhtari, “Swell-shrink behavior of expansive soils: Damage and control,” 2012.

[2] M. R. Hakro, A. Kumar, Z. A. Almani, A. F. Habib, and M. A. Zardari, “Numerical modelling of shallow foundations on expansive shale: A case study of Jamshoro, Pakistan,” Baltica, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 80–88, 2022, doi: 10.5200/baltica.2022.1.7.

[3] O. Aydan, “Geological and seismological aspects of Kashmir earthquake of October 8, 2005, and a geotechnical evaluation of induced failures of natural and cut slopes,” J. Mar. Sci. Technol., vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 25–44, 2006.

[4] M. Rabie, “Comparison study between traditional and finite element methods for slopes under heavy rainfall,” HBRC J., vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 160–168, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.hbrcj.2013.10.002.

[5] D. P. Mallawaratchie, “Stage-1 remedial measures for stabilizing landslide at Beragala–Haliela Road,” in Proc. 7th Int. Symp. Landslides, Trondheim, Norway, 1996, vol. 3, pp. 1759–1764.

[6] H. Rahardjo, K. Hritzuk, E. Leong, and R. Rezaur, “Effectiveness of horizontal drains for slope stability,” Eng. Geol., vol. 69, no. 3–4, pp. 295–308, Jun. 2003, doi: 10.1016/S0013-7952(02)00288-0.

[7] M. Kopecký and M. Ondrášik, “Horizontal drains as effective measure for landslide remediation,” Stud. Geotech. Mech., vol. 35, 2013, doi: 10.2478/sgem-2013-0011.

[8] S. C. Amatya and M. Mori, “Horizontal drilling drainage as a preventive measure for water-induced landslide risk reduction: A case study from Sindhuli Road, Nepal,” 2018.

[9] P. T. K. Sari and I. B. Mochtar, “Effect of horizontal drain for slope stability during rainfall using transient seepage analysis,” Civ. Eng. Archit., vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 2753–2767, Sep. 2023, doi: 10.13189/cea.2023.110537.

[10] N. A. Bazai et al., “Dynamics and impacts of monsoon-induced geological hazards: A 2022 flood study along the Swat River in Pakistan,” 2025.

[11] M. Waseem et al., “Slope stability analysis of the Qalandarabad landslide,” 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360385131

[12] “List of extreme weather records in Pakistan,” Wikipedia. [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extreme_weather_records_in_Pakistan

[13] S. J. M. van Eekelen, “The 2016 update of the Dutch design guideline for basal reinforced piled embankments,” in Procedia Eng., Elsevier, 2016, pp. 582–589, doi: 10.1016/j.proeng.2016.06.077.

[14] Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Geotechnical design standard—Minimum requirements,” 2024.

[15] M. Mukhlisin and N. A. B. A. Aziz, “Study of horizontal drain effect on slope stability,” J. Geol. Soc. India, vol. 87, no. 4, pp. 483–490, Apr. 2016, doi: 10.1007/s12594-016-0417-6.

[16] A. Erdağ and N. S. Işık, “Effect of rainfall intensity on the stability of unsaturated slopes of silty clay soils,” Arab. J. Geosci., vol. 15, no. 9, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s12517-022-10174-7.

[17] V. Ghutke et al., “Stability of slopes under dynamic loading using FEM software,” Int. J. Res. Appl. Sci. Eng. Technol., vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 4277–4284, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.22214/ijraset.2023.51276.

[18] T. C. Kenney, W. S. Choi, and M. Pazin, “Design of horizontal drains for soil slopes,” J. Geotech. Eng. Div., vol. 103, no. 11, pp. 1311–1323, Nov. 1977, doi: 10.1061/AJGEB6.0000522.

[19] R. W. Prellwitz, “Analysis of parallel drains for highway cut-slope stabilization,” (unpublished/report).

[20] K. C. Lau and T. C. Kenney, “Horizontal drains to stabilize clay slopes,” Can. Geotech. J., vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 241–249, May 1984, doi: 10.1139/t84-027.

[21] D. I. Cook, P. M. Santi, and J. D. Higgins, “Horizontal landslide drain design: State of the art and suggested improvements,” Environ. Eng. Geosci., vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 241–250, Nov. 2008, doi: 10.2113/gseegeosci.14.4.241.

[22] “Geotechnical design manual M 46-03,” 2022.

Published

2026-04-01

Issue

Vol. 45 No. 2 (2026): April Issue

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Slope Stability Assessment Using Drains: A PLAXIS 2D Analysis at MUET, Jamshoro. (2026). Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, 45(2), 110-121. https://doi.org/10.22581/0608

Similar Articles

11-20 of 44

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.