Numerical analysis of the impact on infiltration on cut natural clay slopes

This study presents a numerical analysis of a cut sensitive clay slope subjected to climate-induced hydrological loading. To accurately capture the coupled hydro-mechanical behaviour, simulations were performed using the FEniCS-Geo finite element framework, which solves the governing mechanical and water mass balance. The Creep-SClay1S constitutive model was employed to represent the behaviour of sensitive clay, as it accounts for key features such as anisotropy, destructuration, rate dependency as well as Lode angle. Careful attention was paid to initializing the slope with realistic in-situ stress and pore pressure conditions to ensure meaningful interpretation of the results. A sensitivity analysis was carried out for varying rainfall intensities, enabling the evaluation of how climate-related changes in infiltration affect stress redistribution and the evolution of deformation within the slope.