Engineering Geological Characterization and Slope Stability Analysis of Soils Along the Blue Nile Basin Road Section, Northwestern Ethiopia

The primary aim of this research was to study the Engineering Geological characterization and slope stability analysis of soils along the Blue Nile basin road section, Northwestern Ethiopia by using both finite element and limit equilibrium methods. This study area's field survey investigation entails assessing geometry of the slope and gathering soil samples for Engineering geological characterizations and slope stability analysis. Furthermore, the soil laboratory analysis Engineering geological characterizations results revealed that soils of the study area were classified as silt sand and poorly graded sand within clay soils (medium to high plasticity) with a liquid limit range of 51.93–64.28%, a plasticity index of 19.61–20.7%, and the moisture contents range from 9.83 to 15.67%. The slope stability analysis was conducted for static dry condition, static wet condition, dynamic dry, and dynamic wet loading conditions using limit equilibrium and finite element methods. The analysis the factor of safety from Limit equilibrium methods by using slide software and the strength reduction factor from Finite element method analysis by using phase2 software indicate the slope stability analysis results show that both critical soil slope sections were stable under dry condition and dynamic dry conditions, while unstable under wet condition and dynamic wet conditions. In addition, as we move from static dry to dynamic dry, from static wet and dynamic wet situations, the LEM and FEM results for the two critical selected soil slope sections showed that decreasing tendency of FOS and SRF, respectively. Furthermore, this study recommends the implementation of engineering geological structures such as gabion, retaining walls building and soil nailing for remedial measures to prevent the failure of critical selected soil slopes sections in the study area.