Application of a simple genetic algorithm to the stability of slopes subjected to pore-water pressure

A simple genetic algorithm (SGA) is applied to the search for the minimum factor of safety and the corresponding critical failure mechanism of the slopes subjected to pore-water pressure based on the kinematical approach of limit analysis and the shear strength reduction technique. The method is shown to be superior to mathematics programming procedure and other optimization techniques, which can rind false minima, and to 'brute force' approaches, which require the analysis of a very large number of possibilities. Numerical results are presented and the efficiency and capability of the proposed method is verified. Finally, Comparable computations are made to examine the influence of pore water pressure on slope stability.