Slide Tutrorial PDF

Tutorial 01 Quick Start Tutorial
• Homogeneous single material slope

• No water pressure (dry)
• Circular slip surface search (Grid Search)
• Intro to multi scenario modeling
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 01: Quick Start
Introduction
This “quick start” tutorial will demonstrate some of the basic features of Slide using the
simple model shown above. You will see how quickly and easily a model can be created and
analyzed with Slide.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 01 Quick Start.slmd data
file. All tutorial files installed with Slide 2018 can be accessed by selecting File > Recent
Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu.
Model
If you have not already done so, run the Slide Model program by double-clicking on the Slide
icon in your installation folder. Or from the Start menu, select Programs → Rocscience →
Slide 2018 → Slide.
If the Slide application window is not already maximized, maximize it now, so that the full
screen is available for viewing the model.
Note that when the Slide Model program is started, a new blank document is already
opened, allowing you to begin creating a model immediately.
Project Settings
The Project Settings dialog is used to configure the main analysis parameters for your Slide
model, such as Failure Direction, Units of Measurement, Analysis Methods and
Groundwater Method.
Although we do not need to customize the Project Settings for this tutorial, let’s take a look
at the dialog.
Select: Analysis → Project Settings
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The Project Settings dialog is organized into various pages which are accessed by selecting
the name of the page from the list at the left of the dialog (e.g. General, Methods,
Groundwater etc.)
On the General page, make sure that the Stress Units option is set to Metric. This
determines the units of length, force, stress and unit weight used in the analysis.
Select the Scenarios page. Note that Multiple Scenarios is the default setting. Multi
Scenario modeling is discussed later in this tutorial.
Do not change any other settings in the dialog. Select OK.
Project Summary
Select Analysis > Project Summary, enter “Quick Start Tutorial” as the Project Title. Select
OK.
Entering Boundaries
The first boundary that must be defined for every Slide model is the External Boundary. The
External Boundary in Slide is a closed polyline encompassing the soil region you wish to
analyze. In general:
• The upper segments of the External Boundary represent the slope surface you are
analyzing.
• The left, right and lower extents of the External Boundary are arbitrary, and can be
extended as far out as necessary for a complete analysis of the problem.
To add the External Boundary, select Add External Boundary from the toolbar or the
Boundaries menu.
Select: Boundaries → Add External Boundary
Enter the following coordinates in the prompt line at the bottom right of the screen. As you
enter the coordinates, notice that the view limits are automatically updated to encompass
the coordinates you are entering.
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Enter vertex [esc=cancel]: 0 0

Enter vertex [u=undo,esc=cancel]: 130 0
Enter vertex [c=close,u=undo,esc=cancel]: 80 50
Enter vertex [c=close,u=undo,esc=cancel]: c
Entering “c” after the last vertex has been entered, automatically connects the first and last
vertices (closes the boundary), and exits the Add External Boundary option.
TIP: if you make a mistake while entering coordinates, you can enter “u” in the prompt line
at any time, to undo the most recent vertex entry.
Select Zoom All (or press the F2 function key) to zoom the model to the center of the view.
Your screen should now look as follows:
Modeling Tips and Shortcuts

While entering boundaries, various options are available by entering single letter text
commands in the prompt line (e.g. enter “u” to undo the most recent vertex). These options
are also available in the right-click context menu, and include:
• Undo
• Arc
• Circle
• Snap Options
• Coordinate Table
The Coordinate Table option allows you to enter or paste coordinates into a dialog. The
coordinate table can be accessed by entering “t” in the prompt line, or from the right-click
menu.
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Boundaries can be entered graphically in Slide, by simply clicking the left mouse button at
the desired coordinates. The Snap options can be used for entering exact coordinates
graphically.
TIP: for more details see the Entering Coordinates topic in the Slide Help system (Slide
Model > Boundaries > Overview of Boundaries > Entering Coordinates).
Slip Surfaces
Slide can analyze the stability of either circular or non-circular slip surfaces. Individual
surfaces can be analyzed, or a critical surface search can be performed, to attempt to find
the slip surface with the lowest factor of safety.
In this “quick start” tutorial, we will perform a critical surface search for circular slip
surfaces. In Slide, there are 3 Search Methods available for circular slip surfaces:
• Auto Refine Search, Grid Search, Slope Search.
The Auto Refine Search is the default method. However, we will use the Grid Search, which
is a commonly used and well-known method for circular surface searching.
Select the Surfaces workflow tab. Select Surface Options from the toolbar or the Surfaces
menu. Change the Search Method = Grid Search. Select OK.
A Grid Search requires a grid of slip centers.
Auto Grid
Slip center grids can be user-defined (Add Grid option) or automatically created by Slide
(Auto Grid option). For this tutorial we will use the Auto Grid option.
Select: Surfaces → Auto Grid
You will see the Grid Spacing dialog. We will use the default number of intervals (20 x 20),
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so just select OK, and the grid will be created.
By default, the actual locations of the slip centers within the grid are not displayed. You can
turn them on in Display Options. In the sidebar Display Options, select the “Show Search
Grid Points” checkbox. (Display Options is also available as a dialog from the toolbar or the
right-click menu).
Your screen should look as follows.
Note that the 20 x 20 grid interval spacing actually gives a grid of 21 x 21 = 441 slip centers.
Each center in a slip center grid, represents the center of rotation of a series of slip circles.
Slide automatically determines the circle radii at each grid point, based on the Slope Limits,
and the Radius Increment. The Radius Increment, entered in the Surface Options dialog,
determines the number of circles generated at each grid point.
How Slide performs a circular surface search, using the Slope Limits and the Radius
Increment, is discussed in the next section.
Slope Limits
When you created the External Boundary, you will notice the two triangular markers
displayed at the left and right limits of the upper surface of the External Boundary. These
are the Slope Limits.
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The Slope Limits are automatically calculated by Slide as soon as the External Boundary is
created, or whenever editing operations (e.g. moving vertices) are performed on the
External Boundary.
The Slope Limits serve two purposes in a Slide circular surface analysis:
1. FILTERING – All slip surfaces must intersect the External Boundary, within the Slope
Limits. If the start and end points of a slip surface are NOT within the Slope Limits,
then the slip surface is discarded (i.e. not analyzed). This is illustrated below.
2. CIRCLE GENERATION – The segments of the External Boundary between the Slope
Limits define the slope surface to be analyzed. The slope surface is used to generate
the slip circles for a Grid Search, as follows:
• For each slip center grid point, suitable Minimum and Maximum radii are
determined, based on the distances from the slip center to the slope
surface, as shown in the next figure.
• The Radius Increment is then used to determine the number of slip circles
generated between the minimum and maximum radii circles at each grid
point.
NOTE:
• The Radius Increment is the number of intervals between the minimum and
maximum circle radii at each grid point. Therefore the number of slip circles
generated at each grid point is equal to the Radius Increment + 1.
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• The total number of slip circles generated by a Grid Search, is therefore = (Radius
Increment + 1) x (total # of grid slip centers). For this example, this equals 11 x 21 x
21 = 4851 slip circles.
Changing the Slope Limits

The default Slope Limits calculated by Slide will, in general, give the maximum coverage for
a Grid Search. If you wish to narrow the Grid Search to more specific areas of the model, the
Slope Limits can be customized with the Define Limits dialog.
Select: Surfaces → Slope Limits → Define Limits
The Define Slope Limits dialog allows you to customize the left and right Slope Limits, or
even to define two sets of limits (e.g. to define allowable ranges for slip surface starting and
ending points).
We are using the default Slope Limits for this tutorial; it is suggested that the user
experiment with different Slope Limits, after completing this tutorial. Select Cancel in the
Define Slope Limits dialog.
NOTE: the Slope Limits can also be moved graphically, using the mouse, with the Move
Limits option.
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Properties
Now let’s define the material properties.
Select: Properties → Define Materials
In the Define Material Properties dialog, enter the following parameters, with the first
(default) material selected.
• Name = Soil 1
• Unit Weight = 19
• Strength Type = Mohr-Coulomb
• Cohesion = 5
• Phi = 30
• Water Surface = None
When you are finished entering properties, select OK.

NOTE: since we are dealing with a single material model, and since you entered properties
with the first (default) material selected, you do not have to Assign these properties to the
model. Slide automatically assigns the default properties (i.e. the properties of the first
material in the Define Material Properties dialog) for you.
(Remember that when you created the External Boundary, the area inside the boundary
was automatically filled with the colour of the first material in the Define Material
Properties dialog. This represents the default property assignment.)
For multiple material models, it is necessary for the user to assign properties with the
Assign Properties option. We will deal with assigning properties in Tutorial 2.
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Analysis Methods
Before we run the analysis, let’s examine the limit equilibrium Analysis Methods that are
available in Slide.
Select the Methods page in the Project Settings dialog.
By default, the Vertical Slices option is selected, and Bishop and Janbu methods are the
selected Analysis Methods.
You may select any or all Vertical Slice analysis methods, and all selected methods will be
run when Compute is selected. See the Slide Help system for information about the
different analysis methods, and the assumptions used in each.
For this tutorial, we will only use the default vertical slice methods – Bishop and Janbu.
Select Cancel in the Project Settings dialog.
Save
Before we go further, save as a file called Quick Start Tutorial. (Slide multi scenario model
files have a .slmd filename extension).
Select: File → Save
Use the Save As dialog to save the file.
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Document Viewer
The Document Viewer in the sidebar allows you to create, organize and edit groups and
scenarios for multi scenario files.
For this simple example, the file consists of only one group containing one scenario (the
master scenario).
We don’t need to worry about the document viewer right now, but just keep it in mind for
future reference. Multi scenario modeling is discussed at the end of this tutorial, and is
discussed in detail in Tutorial 24 and other Slide tutorials.
Compute
You are now ready to run the analysis.
Select: Analysis → Compute
The Slide Compute engine will proceed in running the analysis. This should only take a few
seconds. When completed, you are ready to view the results in Interpret.
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Interpret
To view the results of the analysis:
Select: Analysis → Interpret
This will start the Slide Interpret program. You should see the results of the Grid Search as
shown in the following figure:
By default, when a computed file is first opened in Slide Interpret, you will always see:
• The Global Minimum slip surface, for the BISHOP Simplified analysis method (if a
Bishop analysis was run)
• If a Grid Search has been performed, you will see contours of safety factor in the
slip center grid. The contours are based on the MINIMUM calculated safety factor
at each grid slip center.
The Global Minimum slip surface, and the contoured grid are both visible in the above
figure.
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Global Minimum Slip Surfaces

For a given analysis method, the Global Minimum slip surface is the slip surface with the
LOWEST factor of safety, of all slip surfaces analyzed.
The analysis method is displayed in the toolbar at the top of the Slide Interpret screen.
The Global Minimum safety factor is displayed beside the slip center for the surface. In this
case, for a Bishop analysis, the overall minimum safety factor is 1.14.
To view the Global Minimum safety factor and surface for other analysis methods, simply
use the mouse to select a method from the drop-list in the toolbar. For example, select the
Janbu Simplified method, and observe the results. In general, the Global Minimum safety
factor and slip surface, can be different for each analysis method.
TIP: while the analysis method is selected in the toolbar, you can scroll through the analysis
methods by rotating the mouse wheel. This allows you to quickly compare analysis results,
without having to select the analysis method each time.
It is very important to note the following –

• The term “Global Minimum” should be used with caution. The Global Minimum
surfaces displayed after an analysis, are only as good as your search techniques, and
may not necessarily be the lowest possible safety factor surfaces for a given model.
Depending on your search methods and parameters, SURFACES WITH LOWER SAFETY
FACTORS MAY EXIST!!! (For example, grid location, grid interval spacing, Radius
Increment and Slope Limits, will all affect the results of the Grid Search.)
Also note –
• In the current example, for the Bishop and Janbu analysis methods, the Global
Minimum surface is the same for both methods. HOWEVER, IN GENERAL, THE GLOBAL
MINIMUM SURFACE FOR EACH ANALYSIS METHOD, WILL NOT NECESSARILY BE THE
SAME SURFACE!!!
The display of the Global Minimum surface, may be toggled on or off by selecting the Global
Minimum option from the toolbar or the Data menu.
Select: Data → Global Minimum
The Global Minimum is hidden.
Select: Data → Global Minimum
The Global Minimum is displayed.
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Viewing Minimum Surfaces

Remember that the Grid Search is performed by generating circles of different radii at each
grid point in a slip center grid.
To view the minimum safety factor surface generated AT EACH GRID POINT, select the
Minimum Surfaces option in the toolbar or the Data menu.
Select: Data → Minimum Surfaces
As shown in the above figure, Slide will draw the minimum slip surfaces, with colours
corresponding to the safety factor contours in the grid, and in the legend (visible in the
upper left corner).
Again, as with the Global Minimum, note that the Minimum Surfaces correspond to the
currently selected analysis method (i.e. if you select different analysis methods, you may
see different surfaces displayed).
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Viewing All Surfaces

To view ALL valid slip surfaces generated by the analysis, select the All Surfaces option from
the toolbar or the Data menu.
Select: Data → All Surfaces
Again, note that the slip surfaces are colour coded according to safety factor, and that
safety factors will vary according to the analysis method chosen.
NOTE: since the slip surfaces overlap, Slide draws the slip surfaces starting with the HIGHEST
safety factors, and ending with the LOWEST safety factors, so that the slip surfaces with the
lowest safety factors are always visible (i.e. they are drawn last).
The All Surfaces option is very useful for visualizing all of the valid surfaces generated by
your analysis. It may indicate:
• areas in which to concentrate a search, in order to find a lower Global Minimum, using
some of the various techniques provided in Slide. For example, customizing the Slope
Limits, as discussed earlier in this tutorial, or using the Focus Search options in the
Surfaces menu.
• areas which have been insufficiently covered by the search, again, necessitating a
change in the search parameters (e.g. location of the slip center grid, or a larger value of
Radius Increment).
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Filter Surfaces
When displaying either the Minimum Surfaces, or All Surfaces, as described above, you can
filter the surfaces you would like displayed, using the Filter Surfaces option in the toolbar or
the Data menu.
Select: Data → Filter Surfaces
Filtering can be done by safety factor, or by a specified number of lowest surfaces (e.g. the
10 lowest safety factor surfaces). To see the results of applying the filter parameters,
without closing the dialog, use the Apply button.
For example, select the “Surfaces with a factor of safety below” option. Leave the default
safety factor value of 2. Only surfaces with a factor of safety less than 2 are now displayed,
as shown below. Select Done.
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Data Tips
The Data Tips feature in Slide allows you to obtain model and analysis information by simply
placing the mouse cursor over any model entity or location on the screen.
To enable Data Tips, click on the box on the Status Bar (at the bottom of the Slide
application window), which says Data Tips. By default, it should indicate Data Tips Off.
When you click on this box, it will toggle through 3 different data tip modes – Off, Min and
Max. Click on this box until it displays Max Data Tips.
Now move the mouse cursor over the model, and you will see that the material properties
of the soil are displayed, as shown below.
Place the cursor over different entities of the model, and see what information is displayed.
Virtually all model information is available using Data Tips, for example:
• slip surface safety factor, center and radius
• vertex coordinates
• grid coordinates
• contour values within slip center grids
• slope limit coordinates
• support properties
• etc
Click on the Status Bar and toggle Data Tips Off. You can experiment with the Data Tips
option in later tutorials. NOTE that Data Tips can also be toggled through the View menu.
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Show Coordinates
Turn off the display of All Surfaces by re-selecting the toolbar button.
Model coordinates can be displayed using the Data Tips option described in the previous
section. Model coordinates can also be displayed with the Show Coordinates option in the
View menu.
Select: View → Show Coordinates
In the Show Coordinates dialog, select the External Boundary checkbox and select Close.
You will see the external boundary coordinates as shown below.
TIP: if the coordinates appear too small, right-click and select Display Options, and under
the General tab, clear the Scale Display Items checkbox. Display Options are also available in
the sidebar.
Go back to the Show Coordinates dialog and turn off the display of coordinates by clearing
the External Boundary checkbox.
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Info Viewer
The Info Viewer option in the toolbar or the Analysis menu, displays a summary of Slide
model and analysis information, in its own view.
Select: Analysis → Info Viewer
The display of information in the Info Viewer can be customized using the checkboxes and
text options in the sidebar.
If you right-click in the Info Viewer, you will see various options available in the popup
menu, including Copy, Save as HTML, and Print Preview.
The information can be copied to the clipboard using the Copy option, or saved as an HTML
or text file with the Save As option. From the clipboard, the information can be pasted into
word processing programs for report generation.
Close the Info Viewer view, by selecting the X in the upper right corner of the view.
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Drawing Tools
In the Tools menu or the toolbar, a wide variety of drawing and annotation options are
available for customizing views, including text boxes, property tables, dimensioning tools,
polylines and shapes.
It is left as an optional exercise to experiment with adding drawing tools to the view.
Editing Drawing Tools

After drawing tools have been added to a view, they can be edited as follows.
Right-click
If you right-click the mouse on a drawing tool, you will see a popup menu, which makes
available various editing and visibility options. For example, Copy, Delete, Format
Single-click
If you single-click the left mouse button on a drawing tool, this will “select” the tool, and you
will see the “control points” highlighted on the tool. While in this mode:
• You can click and drag the control points, to re-size the tool.
• If you hover the mouse over any part of the drawing tool, but NOT on a control
point, you will see the four-way arrow cursor, allowing you to click and drag the
entire drawing tool to a new location.
• You can delete the tool by pressing Delete on the keyboard.
Double-click
If you double-click the mouse on a drawing tool, you will see the Format Tool dialog. The
Format Tool dialog allows you to customize styles, colours etc. Only the options applicable
to the clicked-on tool, will be enabled in the Format Tool dialog. (Note: this is the same
Format option available when you right-click on a tool).
It is left as an optional exercise, for the user to experiment with the various editing options
that are available for each Tools option.
Saving Drawing Tools

All drawing tools are automatically saved when you save a Slide file, in either the Interpret
or Model programs.
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Exporting Images
In Slide, various options are available for exporting image files.
Export Image
The Export Image option in the File menu or the right-click menu, allows you to save the
current view directly to one of the following image file formats:
• PNG (*.png)
• JPEG (*.jpg)
• GIF (*.gif)
• Windows Bitmap (*.bmp)
• Windows Enhanced Metafile (*.emf)
• Windows Metafile (*.wmf)
Copy to Clipboard
The current view can also be copied to the Windows clipboard using the Copy option in the
toolbar or the Edit menu. This will place a bitmap image or enhanced metafile on the
clipboard which can be pasted directly into word or image processing applications.
We have now covered some of the basic features in the Slide Interpret program. Additional
features are covered in the next tutorial.
Intro to Multi Scenario Modeling

To conclude this tutorial, we will very briefly introduce multi scenario modeling.
1. Return to the Slide Model program.
2. In the Document Viewer, right-click on Group 1 – Master Scenario, and select Add
Scenario from the popup menu.
3. This will create a new scenario which is a copy of the Master Scenario.
4. Select Save to save the file.
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5. Select Scenario 2 in the Document Viewer.

6. Select Surfaces > Surface Options and change the Search Method = Auto Refine
Search. Select OK.
7. Save the file.

8. Select Compute. In the compute dialog, make sure the Scenario 2 checkbox is
selected. Select OK to run the analysis.
9. Select Interpret. Show All Surfaces for the new scenario. Tile the views. You should
see the following results.
10. In a few mouse clicks, you have created a new scenario, selected a different search
method for the new scenario, computed and displayed the results for two scenarios.
11. Notice that the safety factor using the Auto Refine Method is nearly identical to the
Grid Search results. For further information on Multi Scenario modeling in Slide see
Tutorial 24. That concludes this Quick Start Tutorial.
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Tutorial 2 Materials and Loading
• Multiple material slope with weak layer
• Pore pressure defined by water table
• Uniformly distributed external load
• Circular slip surface search (Grid search)
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 2: Materials & Loading
Introduction
This tutorial will demonstrate how to model a more complex multi-material slope, with
both pore water pressure and an external load.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 02 Materials and
Loading.slmd data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File
> Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu.
Model
Project Settings
Although we do not need to set any Project Settings for this tutorial, let’s briefly examine
the Project Settings dialog.
Select the Groundwater page from the list at the left of the dialog.
Notice the various methods of defining pore pressure conditions in Slide. For this tutorial,
we will be using the default (Groundwater Method = Water Surfaces). This allows pore
pressure to be calculated from a Water Table or Piezometric surfaces.
We will be using all of the default selections in Project Settings. However, select the Project
Summary page, and enter a Project Title – Materials & Loading Tutorial. Select OK.
2-2
Add External Boundary

Enter the following coordinates in the prompt line at the bottom right of the screen.
Enter vertex [c=close,u=undo,esc=cancel]:100 36
Add Material Boundaries

Material boundaries are used in Slide to define the boundaries between different material
zones within the External Boundary. Let’s add two material boundaries, to define the
location of a weak layer.
Select: Boundaries → Add Material Boundary
Since we planned ahead, there are already vertices on the External Boundary, which we can
graphically “snap” to.
1. First make sure that the Snap option is enabled on the Status Bar. When Snap is
enabled, the cursor will change to a circle when it is positioned over a vertex, allowing
you to snap exactly to the vertex.
2. Position the cursor over the External Boundary vertex at ( 5 , 18 ) and click the left
mouse button.
3. Position the cursor over the External Boundary vertex at ( 100 , 36 ) and click the left
mouse button.
4. Right-click the mouse and select Done.
The first material boundary has been added. Now add a second material boundary.
Select: Boundaries → Add Material Boundary
Repeat steps 2 – 4, to add a second material boundary, by snapping to the External
Boundary vertices at ( 5 , 16 ) and ( 100 , 34 ). Your model should look as follows:
2-3
Add Water Table

Now let’s add the water table, in order to define the pore pressure conditions.
Select: Boundaries → Add Water Table
You should still be in Snap mode, so use the mouse to snap the first two vertices to existing
External Boundary vertices, and enter the rest of the vertices in the prompt line.
Enter vertex [esc=cancel]: use the mouse to snap to the vertex at 5 28
Enter vertex [u=undo,esc=cancel]: use the mouse to snap to the vertex at 43
28
Enter vertex [c=close,u=undo,esc=cancel]: 80 38.5
Enter vertex [c=close,u=undo,esc=cancel]: 100 38.5
Enter vertex [c=close,u=undo,esc=cancel]:press Enter or right-click and
select Done
You will now see the Assign Water Table dialog.
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This dialog allows you to assign the Water Table to the materials in your model, by selecting
the checkbox for the desired materials. The Water Table must be assigned to materials, so
that the program knows how pore pressure is to be calculated for each material.
By default, when you add a Water Table, all checkboxes in the dialog are selected. This is
sufficient for our purposes, so just select OK. The Water Table will be added to the model,
and automatically assigned to all materials in the model.
As you can see, we have added a Water Table coincident with the ground surface at the
foot of the slope, and slightly below ground surface towards the crest.
NOTE:
• The assigning of the Water Table to materials, can also be done in the Define Material
Properties dialog. The Assign Water Table dialog is simply a convenient shortcut which
allows you to assign the Water Table to all materials at once, rather than individually
with the Define Material Properties dialog.
IMPORTANT NOTE: the Water Table MUST BE DEFINED ACROSS ALL MATERIALS for which
pore pressure is to be calculated using the Water Table. If it is not, then the analysis will not
be able to calculate the pore pressure for slip surfaces where the Water Table is not
defined, and a safety factor will NOT BE CALCULATED. Therefore, always make sure that the
Water Table spans all applicable material zones of the model, or the slope will not be
analyzed where the Water Table is undefined (see figures below).
A B
Figure A - water table correctly defined across entire model. Figure B - water table
undefined at bottom of slope, slip surfaces intersecting this segment will not be analyzed.
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Add Distributed Load

In Slide, external loads can be defined as either concentrated line loads, or distributed
loads. For this tutorial, we will add a uniformly distributed load near the crest of the slope.
Select the Loading & Support workflow tab, and select Add Distributed Load from the
toolbar or the Loading menu.
Select: Loading → Add Distributed Load

You will see the Add Distributed Load dialog.
Enter a Magnitude = 50 kPa. Leave all other parameters at their default settings. Select OK.
Now as you move the cursor, you will see a small red cross which follows the cursor and
snaps to the nearest point on the nearest boundary.
You may enter the location of the load graphically, by clicking the left mouse button when
the red cross is at the desired starting and ending points of the distributed load. However,
to enter exact coordinates, it is easier in this case to enter the coordinates in the prompt
line.
Enter first point on boundary [esc=quit]: 70 40
Enter second point on boundary [esc=quit]: 80 40
The distributed load will be added to the model after you enter the second point. The
distributed load is represented by red arrows pointing normal (downwards, in this case) to
the External Boundary, between the two points you entered. The load magnitude is also
displayed.
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Slip Surfaces
For this tutorial, we will be performing a circular surface Grid Search, to attempt to locate
the critical slip surface (i.e. the slip surface with the lowest safety factor).
A Grid Search requires a grid of slip centers to be defined. We will use the Auto Grid option,
which automatically locates a grid for the user. Select the Surfaces workflow tab.
Select: Surfaces → Surface Options

In the Surface Options dialog, change the Search Method to Grid Search.
Select: Surfaces → Auto Grid
In the Grid Spacing dialog that appears, keep the default settings of 20 x 20 and press OK.
NOTE: slip center grids, and the circular surface Grid Search, are discussed in more detail in
the Quick Start Tutorial. Please refer to that tutorial, or the Slide Help system, for more
information.
Properties
It’s time to define our material properties. Select Define Materials from the toolbar or the
Properties menu.
With the first (default) material selected in the Define Materials dialog, enter the following
properties:
• Name = Soil 1
• Cohesion = 28.5
• Phi = 20
• Water Surface = Water Table
• Hu = 1
Enter the parameters shown above. Notice that the Water Surface = Water Table, because
we already assigned the Water Table to all materials in the model, with the Assign Water
Table dialog, when we created the Water Table. When all parameters are entered for the
first material, select the second material, and enter the properties for the weak soil layer.
• Name = weak layer
• Unit Weight = 18.5
• Cohesion = 0
• Phi = 10
• Water Surface = Water Table
• Hu = 1
Enter the properties, and select OK when finished.
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Note the following about the Water Parameters:

• Water Surface = Water Table means that the Water Table will be used for pore pressure
calculations for the material.
• In Slide, the Hu coefficient is defined as the factor by which the vertical distance to a water
table (or piezo line) is multiplied to obtain the pressure head. It may range between 0 and 1.
Hu = 1 would indicate hydrostatic conditions. Hu = 0 would indicate a dry soil, and
intermediate values are used to simulate head loss due to seepage, as shown in the margin
figure.
d
hp
Hu = hp / d
Assigning Properties
Since we have defined two materials, it will be necessary to assign properties to the correct
regions of the model, using the Assign Properties option.
Select Assign Properties from the toolbar or the Properties menu.
Select: Properties → Assign Properties

You will see the Assign Properties dialog, shown in the margin.
Before we proceed, note that:
• By default, when boundaries are created, Slide automatically assigns the properties
of the first material in the Define Material Properties dialog, to all soil regions of the
model.
• Therefore, in this case, we only need to assign properties to the weak layer of the
model. The soil above and below the weak layer, already has the correct properties,
of the first material which we defined.
To assign properties to the weak layer will only take two mouse clicks:
1. Use the mouse to select the “weak layer” soil, in the Assign Properties dialog
(notice that the material names are the names you entered in the Define Material
Properties dialog).
2. Now place the cursor anywhere in the “weak layer” of the model (i.e. anywhere in
the narrow region between the two material boundaries), and click the left mouse
button.
That’s it, properties are assigned. Notice that the weak layer zone now has the colour of the
weak layer material. Close the Assign Properties dialog by selecting the X in the upper right
corner of the dialog (or you can press the Escape key to close the dialog).
TIP: assigning can also be done using a right-click shortcut (right-click in the desired area
and the popup menu will have an Assign Material submenu).
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We are now finished creating the model, and can proceed to run the analysis and interpret
the results.
Compute
Before you analyze your model, save it as a file called tutorial02.slmd. (Slide model files
have a .slmd filename extension).
Use the Save As dialog to save the file. You are now ready to run the analysis.
The Slide Compute engine will proceed in running the analysis. When completed, you are
ready to view the results in Interpret.
Interpret
This will start the Slide Interpret program. You should see the following figure.
As you can see, the Global Minimum slip circle, for the Bishop analysis method, passes
through the weak layer, and is partially underneath the distributed load.
The weak layer and the external load clearly have an influence on the stability of this model,
and the Global Minimum safety factor (Bishop analysis) is 0.797, indicating an unstable
situation (safety factor < 1). This slope will require support, or other design modifications, if
it is to be stabilized.
Using the drop-list in the toolbar, select other analysis methods, and view the Global
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Minimum surface for each. In this case, the actual surface, for the methods used (Bishop
and Janbu) is the same, although different safety factors are calculated by each method.
In general, the Global Minimum surface will not necessarily be the same surface, for each
analysis method. See the Quick Start Tutorial for further discussion about the Global
Minimum surface.
What is a Query?
A Query, in the Slide Interpret program, is simply a slip surface which has been selected
with the Add Query option, for the purpose of viewing and plotting detailed analysis results
along the slip surface (e.g. Base Normal Stress, Mobilized Shear Resistance, Pore Pressure,
Interslice forces, etc).
It is important to note that the Data Output option in Project Settings, determines which
surfaces will be available for creating a Query:
• If Data Output = Standard, then detailed analysis data is saved in the Slide output
file, for the Global Minimum surface ONLY.
• If Data Output = Maximum, then detailed analysis data is saved for the minimum
surface at each grid point (for a circular surface Grid Search).
In this tutorial, we have used the default Data Output = Standard, and can therefore only
create a Query for the Global Minimum surface. See the suggested exercises at the end of
this tutorial, for a discussion of the Data Output = Maximum option.
Add Query
A Query can be created by selecting the Add Query option from the toolbar or the Query
menu.
This allows you to select any slip surface for which detailed analysis results are available. For
the current example, detailed analysis results are only available for the Global Minimum slip
surface, as discussed in the previous section.
When it is only required to create a Query for the Global Minimum, there are several time-
saving shortcuts available. For example:
1. Right-click the mouse anywhere on the Global Minimum slip surface.
NOTE: you may click on the slip surface, or on the radial lines joining the slip center to the
slip surface endpoints.
2. Select Add Query from the popup menu, and a Query will be created for the Global
Minimum.
3. NOTE that the colour of the Global Minimum surface changes to black, to indicate
that a query has been added. (Queries are displayed using black. The Global
Minimum, before the query was added, was displayed in green. These colours can
be customized in Display Options.)
You will find this a useful and frequently used shortcut for adding a Query for the Global
Minimum.
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Other shortcuts for adding and graphing Queries are described in the following sections.
Graph Query
The main reason for creating a Query, is to be able to graph detailed analysis results for the
slip surface.
This is done with the Graph Query option in the toolbar or the Query menu.
Select: Query → Graph Query
NOTE:
• If only a single query exists, as in the current example, it will automatically be selected
as soon as you select Graph Query, and you will immediately see the Graph Slice Data
dialog, shown below. If more than one query exists, you will first have to select one (or
more) queries, with the mouse.
1. In the Graph Slice Data dialog, select the data you would like to plot from the
Primary data drop-list. For example, select Base Normal Stress.
2. Select the Horizontal axis data you would like to use (Distance, Slice number, or X
coordinate).
3. Select Create Plot and Slide will create a plot as shown in the following figure.
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More Query Shortcuts

Here are more useful shortcuts for adding / graphing Queries (these are left as optional
exercises after completing this tutorial):
• If you right-click on the Global Minimum BEFORE a query is created, you can select Add
Query, or Add Query and Graph from the popup menu. Or if you right-click AFTER a
Query is created, you can select Graph Query or other options.
• Another very quick shortcut – if NO Queries have been created, and you select Graph
Query from the toolbar, Slide will automatically create a Query for the Global Minimum,
and display the Graph Slice Data dialog.
• Similarly, if you select Show Slices or Query Slice Data, a query will automatically be
created for the Global Minimum, if it did not already exist.
Customizing a Graph
After a slice data graph has been created, many options are available to customize the
graph data and appearance. These options are available through the sidebar, or the right-
click menu.
Chart Properties
Right-click the mouse on a graph, and select Chart Properties. The Chart Properties dialog
allows you to change axis titles, minimum and maximum values, etc. This is left as an
optional exercise for the user to explore.
Change Plot Data
Right-click the mouse on a graph, and select Change Plot Data. This will display the Graph
Slice Data dialog, allowing you to plot different data if you wish, while still remaining in the
same view.
Changing the analysis method
After a graph is created, you can even change the analysis method. Simply select a method
from the toolbar, and data corresponding to the method will be displayed.
NOTE:
• Depending on the data being viewed, results may or may not vary with analysis
method. For example, Slice Weight will NOT vary with analysis method. Base
Normal Stress will vary with analysis method.
• Also, “No Data” may be displayed, if the minimum surface for the analysis method
chosen, is different from the surface on which you originally added the query.
Close this graph, so that we can demonstrate a few more features of the Slide query menu.
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Show Slices
The Show Slices option is used to display the actual slices used in the analysis, on all existing
queries in the current view.
Select: Query → Show Slices
The slices are now displayed for the Global Minimum.
Use the Zoom options to get a closer view, so that your screen looks similar to the following
figure. Notice that there are 50 slices, which is the default number entered in Project
Settings.
The Show Slices option can also be used for other display purposes, as configured in the
Display Options in the sidebar or right-click menu. For example:
1. Right-click the mouse and select Display Options. Select the Slope Stability tab.
2. Turn OFF Slice Boundaries, and turn ON Hatch background. Observe the 45 degree
hatch pattern which now fills the failure mass.
3. Change the Fill colour, and select a different Hatch pattern. Experiment with
different combinations of Slice Display Options, and observe the results.
Remember that the Show Slices option only displays the Slice options that are turned ON in
the Display Options dialog.
NOTE: the current Display Options can be saved as the program defaults, by selecting the
Defaults button in the Display Options dialog, and then selecting “Make current settings the
default” in the Defaults dialog.
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Query Slice Data

The Query Slice Data option allows you to view detailed analysis results FOR INDIVIDUAL
SLICES IN A SLIDING MASS.
Select: Query → Query Slice Data
1. You will see the Slice Data dialog, which prompts you to “Click on a slice to view
slice data”.
2. Click on any slice, and the data for the slice will be displayed in the dialog, as
illustrated below:
3. Force arrows will be displayed on the slice, representing the various forces acting
on the slice, such as slice weight, interslice forces and base forces.
4. Select different slices, and observe the changing data. You can click directly on the
model, or you can use the left / right arrow buttons at the top of the dialog, to
select slices.
5. Select Zoom in the Slice Data dialog. The currently selected slice is zoomed to the
middle of the view.
6. Select the “roll-up”  arrow in the upper right corner of the Slice Data dialog (do
not select the X), and the dialog will “roll-up” (minimize without closing), allowing
you to view the full screen. (NOTE: you can also double-click on the title bar of the
dialog, to minimize / maximize the dialog). For example, after rolling-up and moving
the Slice Data dialog out of the way, your screen may appear as follows:
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7. Maximize the Slice Data dialog, by selecting the “roll-down”  arrow, or double-
clicking on the title bar of the dialog. Select the Hide / Show buttons, and view the
results.
8. The Copy button will copy the current slice data to the Windows clipboard, where it
can be pasted into another Windows application (e.g. for report writing).
9. The Filter List button allows you to customize the list of data which appears in the
dialog.
10. Close the Slice Data dialog by selecting the X in the upper right-corner of the dialog,
or press Escape.
11. Press F2 to Zoom All.
Deleting Queries
Queries can be deleted with the Delete Query option in the toolbar or the Query menu.
A convenient short-cut for deleting an individual query, is to right-click on a query, and
select Delete Query. For example:
1. Right-click on the Global Minimum query. (You can right-click anywhere on the slip
surface, or on the radial lines joining the slip center to the slip surface endpoints).
2. Select Delete Query from the popup menu, and the query will be deleted. (The
Global Minimum is now displayed in green once again, indicating that the query no
longer exists).
Show Values Along Surface

Another very useful option for viewing slip surface data is the Show Values Along Surface
option. This allows you to visually plot data directly along the Global Minimum slip surface,
or any slip surface for which a Query has been created.
Select: Query → Show Values Along Surface

You will see the following dialog.
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1. Choose the Slice Data to plot, for example Base Normal Stress.
2. You will see the data plotted along the Global Minimum slip surface as shown in the
following figure. The size of the bars represents the relative magnitude of the data
on the base of each slice.
3. Choose different Slice Data types and observe the results.

4. Experiment with the various display options in the dialog and observe the results.
5. Choose Slice Data = None and close the dialog.
NOTE: the Show Values Along Surface option is also available as a right-click shortcut. If you
right-click on the Global Minimum slip surface, or any other slip surface for which a Query
has been created, the Show Values Along Surface option will be available in the popup
menu. From the sub-menu you can directly choose a data type to plot, or access the Show
Values dialog.
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Graph SF along Slope

We will demonstrate one more data interpretation feature of Slide.
Select: Data → Graph SF along Slope
In the following dialog, select Create Plot:
This will create a plot of the factor of safety along the surface of the slope. The factor of
safety values are obtained from each slip surface / slope intersection point.
This graph is useful in determing areas of the slope which correspond to slip surfaces with
low safety factors, and may possibly be involved in failure. You may find it useful to tile the
views horizontally, to view the graph and the slope together.
Select: Window → Tile Horizontally
Use the Zoom options as necessary, to achieve the desired view of the slope, relative to the
graph. (Tip: first select Zoom All. Then use Zoom Mouse, and Pan, if necessary, to zoom the
slope to the same scale as the graph).
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Additional Exercises
A safety factor graph, such as the previous figure, can be used to help refine a critical
surface search, with the Define Slope Limits option, as suggested in the optional exercise
below.
2. Use the Define Slope Limits dialog (see the Quick Start tutorial), to define two sets
of Slope Limits, corresponding approximately to the low safety factor areas of the
safety factor graph shown in the previous figure.
3. Re-run the analysis, and see if a lower safety factor Global Minimum surface has
been located.
Other Search Methods

The Grid Search is not the only search method available in Slide for circular slip surfaces.
Other methods can be used. Re-run the analysis using:
• Slope Search method
• Auto Refine Search method
and compare results. Experiment with different search method parameters. See the Slide
Help system for information about the search methods.
Maximum Data Output Option

While demonstrating the Query options in this tutorial, we have pointed out that a Query
could only be created for the Global Minimum surface. This is because we used the Data
Output = Standard option in the Project Settings dialog.
If we use the Data Output = Maximum option, then a Query can be created for the
minimum safety factor surface at any grid point, since detailed analysis data is then saved
for all of these surfaces, and not just for the Global Minimum.
The following suggested exercise will demonstrate the capabilities of Slide when Data
Output = Maximum.
1. Return to the Slide Model program, and set Data Output = Maximum in Project
Settings.
2. Re-run the analysis.
3. In Slide Interpret, select Add Query from the toolbar or the menu.
4. Now hover the mouse (without clicking) over the slip center grid, or over the slip
surfaces within the slope. As you move the mouse, notice that the nearest
corresponding slip surface is highlighted. (Note: it is helpful to turn on the Minimum
Surfaces option first, since these are all of the surfaces for which you can create a
Query).
5. When a desired slip surface has been located, click the left mouse button, and a
Query will be created for that surface.
6. You may repeat steps 3-5, to add any number of Queries for different slip surfaces.
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7. When using the Graph Query option (selected from the toolbar or the menu), you
may graph multiple Queries on the same plot, by simply selecting the desired
queries with the mouse.
NOTE: when Data Output = Maximum, the apparent compute speed may be significantly
slower than when Data Output = Standard. Also, the size of the output files will be much
larger, due to the large amount of data being stored. Depending on the number of slip
surfaces you are analyzing, these differences can be very significant. Data Output =
Maximum option should only be used when you wish to view detailed data for surfaces
other than the Global Minimum.
That concludes this tutorial. To exit the program:
Select: File → Exit
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Tutorial 3 Non-Circular Surfaces
• Multiple material slope, with weak layer
• Pore pressure defined by water table
• Uniformly distributed external load
• Block search for non-circular slip surfaces
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 3: Non-Circular Surfaces
Introduction
This tutorial will use the same model as Tutorial 02 (Materials & Loading Tutorial), to
demonstrate how an analysis can be performed using non-circular (piece-wise linear) slip
surfaces.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 03 Non-Circular
Surfaces.slmd data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File
Model
Since we are using exactly the same model from the previous tutorial, we will not repeat
the modeling procedure, but simply read in a file.
Select: File → Open
If you completed the previous tutorial, and saved the file, you can use this file
(tutorial02.slmd). If you did not do the previous tutorial, or did not save the file, then the
required file is also available in the Slide Tutorials folder, which can be accessed by selecting
File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu (file: Tutorial 02 Materials
and Loading.slmd).
Open whichever file is most convenient.
Multi Scenario Document Viewer

Notice the Document Viewer pane in the sidebar.
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The Document Viewer allows you to create, name and organize the various models that you
will be analyzing in Multi Scenario mode.
By default, one Group containing one Master Scenario will automatically be created. The
definition of Group and Scenario is as follows:
• Group – by definition, all Scenarios within a Group have the same boundaries (e.g.
External and Material boundaries). If you edit the boundaries for one scenario, the
edits will automatically propagate to all scenarios in the same Group.
• Master Scenario – the Master Scenario is a general template for the scenarios in a
group. Any changes you apply to the Master Scenario (e.g. add load, support, etc.)
will propagate to the scenarios in the group.
• Scenario – scenarios allow you to change any other input parameters (except
boundaries). Each scenario can have different input parameters.
Save the model before proceeding. Now, let’s rename the Group and set up the scenarios as
follows:
• Right-click on “Group 1” and select Add Scenario from the popup menu.
• Right-click on “Scenario 2” and select Rename from the popup menu. Rename the
Scenario “Block Search”. Click Save and Close.
Note that in the “Group & Scenario Properties” dialog, in addition to renaming scenarios
you can also change the display order of scenarios and add scenario descriptions.
Surface Options
Make sure you are in the Non Circular Scenario.
The first thing we need to do, is change the Surface Type to Non-Circular, in the Surface
Options dialog. Select the Surfaces workflow tab, and select Surface Options from the
toolbar or the Surfaces menu.
In the Surface Options dialog, change the Surface Type to Non-Circular, and select Block
Search.
We will be using all of the default Block Search Options for now, so just select OK.
Block Search
The term “Block Search” is used in Slide, since a typical non-circular sliding mass, with only a
few sliding planes, can be considered as consisting of active, passive and central blocks of
material, as shown below.
3-3
In order to carry out a Block Search with Slide, the user must create one or more Block
Search objects (window, line, point or polyline). The Block Search objects are used to
randomly generate the locations of slip surface vertices.
For a model with a narrow weak layer, the best way to perform a Block Search is to use the
Block Search Polyline option. This option works as follows:
1. TWO points are first generated on the polyline, according to user-definable
selections.
2. The slip surface is constrained to follow the polyline, between the two points.
3. The projection angles are used to project the surface up to the ground surface, from
the two points.
4. Steps 1 to 3 are repeated for the required number of slip surfaces.
Let’s add the polyline to the model.
Select the Add Block Search Polyline option from the toolbar, or from the Block Search sub-
menu in the Surfaces menu. (Notice that the options in the toolbar and Surfaces menu are
now applicable to non-circular surfaces, since we changed the Surface Type from Circular to
Non-Circular in the Surface Options dialog).
Select: Surfaces → Block Search → Add Polyline

This dialog allows you to specify how the two points will be generated on the polyline. The
points can be randomly generated at any location (the Any Line Segment option), or
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randomly generated on the first or last line segments, or fixed at the endpoints of the
polyline.
In most cases, it is best to start with the Any Line Segment option, to maximize the coverage
of the search along the polyline. This is already the default selection for both points, so just
select OK in the dialog.
Now enter the points defining the polyline. The points can be entered graphically with the
mouse, but we will enter the following points in the prompt line:
Enter point [esc=cancel]: 39 23
Enter point [u=undo,esc=cancel]: 81 31
Enter point [u=undo,esc=cancel]: press Enter or right-click and
select Done
The Block Search Polyline search object is now added to the model, within the weak layer.
Notice the arrows displayed on either side of the line. The arrows represent the left and
right projection angles which will be used for projecting the slip surface to the ground
surface. The projection angles can be customized by the user in the Surface Options dialog,
which we will be doing later in this tutorial. For now, we are using the default angles.
More About Block Search Objects

At this point you may be wondering – why did we use the Block Search Polyline option,
when we only defined a single line segment? There is a very good reason:
• A Block Search Polyline always generates TWO points along the line. The slip surface
is then constrained to follow the polyline, between the two points.
• In the general case, when a Block Search Polyline consists of multiple line segments,
this makes it very easy to define a Block Search, along an irregular (non-linear) weak
layer.
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• A Block Search Polyline may consist of only a single line segment. Two points are
still generated on the single line segment, which makes it easy to define a Block
Search along a linear weak layer.
The Block Search Polyline option was specially developed for the purpose of easily searching
along linear or non-linear weak layers.
In contrast the other Block Search objects in Slide – Window, Line or Point – only generate a
SINGLE slip surface vertex, for each object. For a Block Search LINE object, the slip surface
does not “follow” the line; you are only guaranteed to have a single vertex ON the line.
In order to create the same search with Block Search Line objects, you would have to define
TWO Block Search Lines, which are co-linear. To define a Block Search along an irregular
(non-linear) weak layer is much more difficult (although it can be done, using a combination
of Block Search Line objects, and Block Search Point objects, at each “bend” in the weak
layer.)
In general, any number of Block Search Objects can be defined, and used in any
combination. In fact, you may even use a Block Search Polyline object in combination with
Window, Line and Point objects, or even another Polyline object (as long as no other search
objects overlap a Polyline object).
For more information about Block Search objects, please see the Slide Help system.
Compute
Save the file and click on Compute.
The “Select scenarios to compute” dialog will appear. Click OK.
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For this simple model, all slip surfaces generated by the search will consist of three line
segments – a line segment along the Block Search Polyline, and the left and right projected
segments.
Interpret
By default, the Global Minimum slip surface for a Bishop analysis will be displayed.
You will also notice a cluster of points above the slope. For a non-circular analysis, these
points are automatically generated by Slide, and are the axis points used for moment
equilibrium calculations. An axis point is generated for EACH non-circular slip surface, by
using the coordinates of the slip surface to determine a best-fit circle. The center of the
best-fit circle is used as the axis point for the non-circular surface.
The Global Minimum safety factor for a Bishop analysis is 0.762. Compare this with the
results of the circular search in the previous tutorial (0.797).
As might be expected for this model, the Block Search has found a lower safety factor
surface. A non-circular (piece-wise linear) surface is much better suited to finding slip
surfaces along a weak layer, such as we have modeled here, than a circular surface.
Select the Janbu Simplified analysis method in the toolbar and observe the safety factor and
slip surface. In this case, the Bishop and Janbu methods have located the same Global
Minimum surface.
Now select the All Surfaces option.
NOTE: the Minimum Surfaces option, used in previous tutorials, is not available for non-
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circular surfaces. The Minimum Surfaces option only applies to slip center grids used for a
circular surface Grid Search.
Let’s use the Filter Surfaces option, to display only surfaces with a factor of safety less than
1.

In the Filter Surfaces dialog, select the “Surfaces with a factor of safety below” option, enter
a value of 1, and select Done.
As you can see in the next figure, there are many unstable surfaces for this model, other
than the Global Minimum, with a Factor of Safety < 1. This model would definitely require
support or design modifications, in order to be made stable.
Turn off the All Surfaces display, by re-selecting All Surfaces.
Graph Query
Adding and graphing Queries for non-circular surfaces is the same as described in the
previous tutorial for circular surfaces. For example, a convenient shortcut is the following:
• select Graph Query from the toolbar. Slide will automatically create a Query for the
Global Minimum, and display the Graph Slice Data dialog.
Select Base Cohesion from the Primary Data drop-list. Select Create Plot.
The graph will be created. As you can see, the graph shows the cohesive strengths (28.5 and
0) of the two materials we defined. Along most of this slip surface, the zero cohesion of the
weak layer is in effect.
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Now right-click on the graph, and select Change Plot Data from the popup menu. You will
see the Graph Slice Data dialog again.
Select Base Friction Angle from the Primary Data drop-list. Select Create Plot.
The graph now displays the friction angle of the two materials we defined (20 and 10
degrees). Along most of this slip surface, the 10 degree friction angle of the weak layer is in
effect.
We will now go back to the Slide modeler, and enter a range of projection angles in the
Surface Options dialog, and re-run the analysis. Select the Modeler option from the toolbar
or the Analysis menu.
Select: Analysis → Modeler
Model
Right-click on the “Non Circular” Scenario and select Duplicate Scenario. Rename the new
scenario to be “Block Search - Angles”.
Select Surface Options from the Surfaces menu (or as a shortcut, you can right-click the
mouse anywhere in the view, and select Surface Options from the popup menu).
In the Surface Options dialog, set the Left Projection Angle range to Start = 125 , End = 155 ,
and the Right Projection Angle range to Start = 25 and End = 55. Select OK.
Notice that there are now two Left Projection Angle arrows and two Right Projection Angle
arrows on the model, indicating the start / end angular limits you just entered in the Surface
Options dialog.
TIP: the Projection Angles are measured COUNTER-CLOCKWISE from the positive X-axis. If
you are unsure about the appropriate values to enter, you can use the Apply button to view
the Projection Angles on the model, without closing the dialog.
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Compute
Save and Compute the file.
Interpret

This will load the latest analysis results into the Slide Interpret program.
The Global Minimum slip surface, for a Bishop analysis, now has a safety factor = 0.705.
By providing a range of projection angles, a slip surface with a lower factor of safety than
the previous analysis, has been located.
Display all surfaces analyzed.
Note that the colours of the slip surfaces and axis points correspond to the safety factor
colours displayed in the Legend.
Also notice the range of projection angles used to generate the first and last segments of
each slip surface, since we specified ranges for the left and right projection angles in the
Surface Options dialog.
We will now demonstrate one more searching option in Slide, the Optimize Surfaces option.
Return to the Slide Model program.
Optimize Surfaces
The Optimize Surfaces option is another very useful searching tool in Slide. It allows you to
3 - 10
continue searching for a lower factor of safety Global Minimum, using the results of the
Block Search as a starting point.
Duplicate the “Block Search – Angles” scenario and rename the new one “Block Search –
Optimization”. Make all edits to this new scenario.
1. In the Surface Options dialog, select the Optimize Surfaces checkbox.
2. Re-run the analysis.
3. You will find that the Optimize Surfaces option, has located a significantly lower
factor of safety Global Minimum slip surface. The Bishop global minimum factor of
safety = 0.67.
4. Notice that the optimized global minimum travels along the bottom of the weak
layer, and includes extra line segments due to the insertion of vertices during the
optimization process.
If you zoom in and select the Show Slices option, you can get a better view of the optimized
surface as shown below.
For more information about the Optimize Surfaces option, see the Slide Help system.
You can easily compare results of all different methods examined in this tutorial by going
through the different scenarios.
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Random Surface Generation

It is important to remember that the Block Search is dependent on the generation of
random numbers, in order to generate slip surfaces:
• by randomly generating the slip surface vertex locations using the Block Search
Objects, and
• by randomly generating the Projection Angles (if a range of angles is specified).
However, if you re-compute the analyses in this tutorial, you will always get exactly the
same results. The reason for this, is that we have been using the Pseudo-Random option (in
Project Settings > Random Numbers).
Pseudo-random analysis means that, although random numbers are used to generate the
slip surfaces, THE SAME SURFACES WILL BE GENERATED EACH TIME THE ANALYSIS IS RE-
RUN, since the same “seed” is used in each case, to generate the random numbers. This
allows you to obtain reproducible results, for a non-circular slip surface search, even though
random surfaces are being generated. By default, the Pseudo-Random option is selected in
Project Settings.
However, you may also use the Random option in Project Settings > Random Numbers. In
this case a different “seed” will be used each time the analysis is re-run. Each analysis will
therefore produce different slip surfaces, and you may obtain different Global Minimum
safety factors, and surfaces, with each analysis.
It is left as an optional exercise, to experiment with the Random Number generation option.
Re-run the analysis several times, using the Random Number Generation option in Project
Settings, and observe the results.
TIP: in order to more clearly see the effects of true random sampling, you can enter a lower
Number of Surfaces (e.g. 200) in the Surface Options dialog.
That concludes this tutorial.
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Tutorial 4 Composite Surfaces
• multiple material slope with weak layer above impenetrable material
• pore pressure defined by water table
• uniformly distributed external load
• Circular grid search with Composite Surfaces option enabled
• Auto Refine search option
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 4: Composite Surfaces
Introduction
This tutorial will use the same model as the Non-Circular Search tutorial (with some
modifications), to demonstrate how to perform a circular surface search, which allows
composite circular / non-circular surfaces to be analyzed as well.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder
> Tutorial 04 Composite Surfaces.slim.
Model
Select: File → Open
If you completed the Materials and Loading tutorial, and saved the file, you can use this file.
If you did not do this tutorial, or did not save the file, then the required file is also available
in the Slide Tutorials folder, which can be accessed by selecting File > Recent Folders >
Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu (file: Tutorial 03 Non-Circular Surfaces.slmd).
Right-click on the Master Scenario (“Group 1 – Master Scenario”). Select XXXX. You will now
be editing “Group 2 – Master Scenario”.
Surface Options
First of all, let’s enable the Composite Surfaces option, in the Surface Options dialog.
In the Surface Options dialog, select the Composite Surfaces checkbox, and select OK.
4-2
What is a Composite Surface?

Normally, when circular surfaces are analyzed in Slide, if a circular surface extends past the
lower limits of the External Boundary, the surface is discarded, and is not analyzed. A
circular surface search may generate a large number of such surfaces, depending on your
External Boundary geometry, and search parameters (grid location, Slope Limits, etc).
If the Composite Surfaces option is enabled, then circular surfaces which extend past the
lower limits of the External Boundary, will automatically conform to the shape of the
External Boundary, between the two circle intersection points along the lower edge of the
boundary. This is illustrated in the following figure.
Example of Composite slip surface

Composite surfaces allow you to model a bedrock surface, for example, by entering
appropriate coordinates for the lower edge of the External Boundary. You can then perform
a circular surface search which will conform to the shape of the bedrock, by simply using
the Composite Surfaces option. These surfaces will be analyzed and NOT discarded.
The material strength used for each slice along the linear portions of the composite surface,
will be the strength of the material immediately above each slice base.
In order to use our previous model that we have just opened, a simple modification will be
required.
Editing Boundaries
To use the current model for this composite surface example, we need to raise the lower
edge of the External Boundary, so that it is coincident with the location of the lower of the
two Material Boundaries.
We can do this as follows. For this example, we will demonstrate the useful right-click
editing capabilities of Slide. Rather than using the menu or the toolbar, most editing
operations in Slide can be carried out using right-click shortcuts, as described below.
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Right Click Shortcuts

1. First of all, we need to delete the LOWER of the two Material Boundaries. Right-
click the mouse ON the LOWER of the two Material Boundaries. A popup menu will
appear. Select Delete Boundary from the popup menu, and the material boundary
will be deleted.
2. Next, we will delete the bottom two vertices of the External Boundary. Right-click
the mouse on the lower LEFT vertex of the External Boundary, and select Delete
Vertex from the popup menu. The vertex will be deleted.
3. Right-click the mouse on the lower RIGHT vertex of the External Boundary, and
select Delete Vertex from the popup menu. The vertex will be deleted.
4. The lower edge of the External Boundary is now in the same location as the
Material Boundary we deleted. Whenever vertices are deleted, boundaries are
redrawn using the remaining vertices. In this case, the External Boundary has
“snapped” up to the location of the lower material boundary vertices.
5. Select Zoom All to zoom the model to the center of the view. Tip: as a shortcut, you
can right-click the mouse and select Zoom All from the popup menu, or you can use
the F2 function key as a shortcut to Zoom All.
NOTE: when you edit model boundaries, Slide attempts to preserve the existing material
assignments. In this case, the weak layer material assignment was preserved. If material
assignments get reset after editing boundaries, remember that you can right-click inside a
material region, and use the Assign Material shortcut to re-assign the desired properties.
The model should look as follows.
We are finished with the modeling, and are ready to run the analysis.
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Compute
Save and Compute.
Interpret

This will start the Slide Interpret program. In the Composite Search scenario, you should see
the following figure.
By default, the Global Minimum surface for the Bishop analysis will be displayed.
As you can see, the Global Minimum is a composite circular / linear slip surface, with a
significantly lower factor of safety than the results obtained from the circular surface search
in Tutorial 2. The following table summarizes the Global Minimum safety factors (Bishop
analysis) for all scenarios that are now in this model.
GLOBAL MINIMUM
SURFACE TYPE
SAFETY FACTOR
CIRCULAR (Group 1 – Master Scenario) 0.797
BLOCK SEARCH (Group 1 – Block Search) 0.762
BLOCK SEARCH with projection angles

0.705
(Group 1 – Block Search – Angles)
BLOCK SEARCH with projection angles; optimized

0.670
(Group 1 – Block Search – Optimization)
COMPOSITE (Group 2 – Master Scenario) 0.707

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Select the Janbu analysis method from the drop-list in the toolbar. Notice that the Global
Minimum surface for both the Bishop and Janbu methods, is near the edge of the search
grid. (The Bishop Global Minimum is still visible, because a Query was automatically created
for that surface when we selected the Show Slices option).
At this point, we will make the following important observation:
• Whenever the slip center of the Global Minimum surface, is at or near the edge of
the slip center grid, this means that you may not have located the true Global
Minimum surface.
Let’s go back to the modeler, and re-size or re-locate the slip center grid, to attempt to find
Global Minimum surfaces which have centers completely within the grid, and not on the
edge of the grid.
Model
There are several different ways we could modify the slip center grid, for this model. For
example, we could:
1. Resize the grid, by stretching one or more corners of the grid, with the Surfaces →
Edit → Stretch option, or with a right-click shortcut (if you right click on a CORNER
of the grid).
2. Move the entire grid to a new location (over to the right) with the Surfaces → Edit
→ Move option (also available as a right click shortcut, if you click on an EDGE of
the grid).
3. Add a second grid, to the right of the existing grid, with the Surfaces → Add Grid
option (Multiple grids can be defined for a model, and grids are allowed to overlap).
Or delete the existing grid and add a new, larger grid extending further over to the
right.
Let’s use option 1, above. We will use the right-click shortcut, rather than go through the
menu.
1. Right-click on the lower RIGHT corner of the grid.
2. A popup menu will appear. Select the Move To option. As you move the mouse, the
selected corner of the grid will follow the mouse.
3. When the grid corner is slightly over to the right of its original location (near the
crest of the slope) left-click again and the grid will be redrawn. It should look similar
to the figure below.
Let’s also increase the Radius Increment, to generate more surfaces at each grid point.
Select Surface Options from the Surfaces menu, enter a new Radius Increment = 20, and
select OK.
4-6
Modified grid for composite surfaces example.

Now let’s see how the new grid affects the analysis.
Compute
Save and Compute.
Interpret
As you can see, the Global Minimum slip center (Bishop analysis), is no longer near the edge
of the grid. The grid contours also indicate that we have located the true minimum surface
(for the grid interval spacing, and radius increment we have used), since the region of
lowest safety factor is contained almost completely within the grid.
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The Global Minimum safety factor (Bishop) is now 0.698. Modifying the grid location and
radius increment, has located a slightly lower safety factor surface.
NOTE: depending on where you stretched the grid, results will vary, and safety factors
slightly lower, or slightly higher, may be calculated. This is because the exact location of the
grid centers will be different, if the grid corners are not in exactly the same location.
In any case, whenever the slip center of a Global Minimum is at or near the edge of a grid,
you should always modify the grid, and re-run the analysis, to see if lower safety factor
surfaces can be located.
Examine the Janbu results, and observe the Global Minimum surface and safety factor.
To conclude this tutorial, we will demonstrate another search method which is available in
Slide, for circular slip surfaces, called the Auto Refine Search method.
Auto Refine Search Method

Although we have used the circular Grid Search for most of the tutorials so far, it is
important to note that other search methods are available in Slide, for circular slip surfaces:
• the Slope Search method, which allows you to define a search by specifying areas of
the slope, using the Slope Limits.
• the Auto Refine Search method. In this method, the search area on the slope is
automatically refined as the search progresses.
The Auto Refine Search method will, in many cases, locate a lower safety factor Global
Minimum, than a Grid Search. Furthermore, this is often achieved with a fewer total
number of slip surfaces generated and computed.
Make a new scenario under Group 2 and name it “Auto Refine”.
To specify an Auto Refine Search:

In the Surface Options dialog, select the Auto Refine Search method. We will use the default
search parameters, however, make sure you select the Composite Surfaces checkbox for
this tutorial. Select OK.
The Auto Refine Search method works by progressively refining the search along the slope
surface. This is done automatically, according to the parameters entered in the Surface
Options dialog.
NO SEARCH OBJECTS (i.e. grids or focus objects) are required by the Auto Refine Search.
(Notice that the Grid used for the Grid Search is no longer visible, since it is not used by the
Auto Refine Search). For details about how the Auto Refine Search works, please see the
Slide Help system.
Run the Analysis, then open Interpret.
The safety factor of the Global Minimum slip surface found by the Auto Refine Search
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method (Bishop Analysis) is 0.693. This is a lower safety factor than any of the search
methods used in the previous tutorials, with the exception of the Optimized Block Search
analysis.
Now view all of the surfaces generated by the search.

As you can see, the pattern of surfaces generated by the Auto Refine Search, is quite
different from the surfaces generated by the Grid Search.
Notice the pattern of slip centers which is generated by the Auto Refine Search. These are
automatically calculated for each circle. This is very different from the uniform grid of slip
centers, which is used to generate the Grid Search.
In conclusion, it is recommended that you become familiar with all of the searching
methods provided in Slide. A slope stability analysis is only as good as your searching
techniques, and one should never assume that they have located the overall Global
Minimum slip surface, after only a single analysis.
You should always spend some time experimenting with different search methods and
search parameters, for both circular and non-circular slip surfaces, until you are confident
that you have located the true Global Minimum slip surfaces.
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Tutorial 5 Water Pressure Grid
• Pore water pressure grid (total head)
• Ponded water above slope defined by water table
• Circular surface search (Auto Refine Search)
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 5: Water Pressure Grid
Introduction
This tutorial will demonstrate how to use a water pressure grid to model pore water
pressure in Slide.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 05 Water Pressure
Grid.slim data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File >
Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu.
This model is also presented in the Groundwater Tutorial (file: Tutorial 07 Groundwater
Seepage.slim). A seepage analysis is carried out, and results are compared with the Water
Pressure Grid tutorial.
Model
Project Settings
In order to use a water pressure grid for pore pressure calculations, we must first set the
Groundwater Method to one of the three available pore pressure grid options (Total Head,
Pressure Head or Pore Pressure) in the Project Settings dialog. In this case we will be using a
grid of discrete Total Head values.
Select the Groundwater page, and set the Groundwater Method = Grid (Total Head).
Note that Slide can use one of several different methods for interpolating pressures at any
point in the soil, from the grid values. We are using the default method (Modified Chugh).
See the Slide Help system for a description of the interpolation methods available.
5-2

The first boundary that must be defined for every Slide model is the External Boundary. To
add the external boundary, select Add External Boundary from the toolbar or the
Boundaries menu.
Note that entering “c” after the last vertex has been entered, automatically connects the
first and last vertices (closes the boundary), and exits the Add External Boundary option.
Adding a Water Pressure Grid

Now let’s add the water pressure grid to the model. To add a water pressure grid, select the
Water Pressure Grid option from the Boundaries menu (or you can select Project Settings >
Groundwater > Water Pressure Grid).
Select: Boundaries → Water Pressure Grid
The points defining a water pressure grid can be entered in this dialog, by entering X and Y
coordinates, and a value (in this case, Total Head), defining the pressure at each grid point.
Rather than entering the data manually, a water pressure grid file has been provided, which
5-3
you can simply read in using the Import option in the Water Pressure Grid dialog.
1. Select the drop-arrow at the right of the Import button. You will see a shortcut to
the Tutorials folder appear.
2. Click on the Tutorials folder shortcut and you will see an Open file dialog. Water
pressure grids can be imported from various file formats including .pwp files (these
are simple text files where each line of the file contains X, Y and VALUE for one grid
point) or .dxf format files (useful if a flownet has been digitized using AutoCAD, for
example).
3. We will read in a .pwp file. Open the file called Tutorial 05 Water Pressure
Grid.pwp. The grid data appears in the Water Pressure Grid dialog.
4. Now select OK in the Water Pressure Grid dialog and the grid will be added to the
model. Each blue triangular symbol represents one grid point.
Your model should appear as follows:
Water pressure grid data such as this could come from a flow net, field measurements, or a
numerical analysis such as the groundwater seepage analysis which is available in the Slide
or RS2 programs.
In this case, the values at each grid point are Total Head values, which were originally
obtained by digitizing the flownet shown below, using a digitizing tablet and AutoCAD. (The
grid was originally saved as a .DXF file, and then converted to a .PWP file).
Remember that Slide also has the capability of using pressure head or pore pressure grids,
as selected in the Project Settings dialog.
5-4
Flownet used to obtain total head measurements

The actual values at each grid point can be displayed on the model with the Display Options
dialog or the sidebar. Let’s take a quick look. Turn on the Pressure Grid Values checkbox in
the Display Options in the sidebar:
The water pressure grid values will be displayed on the model.

If the values overlap, use one of the Zoom options (e.g. Zoom Window, Zoom Mouse or
rotate the mouse wheel forward), to zoom in to approximately the center of the grid, so
that the values are readable. The total head values were obtained at the intersections of
each flowline and equipotential line of the flownet in the previous figure.
Now select Zoom All or press F2 to bring the whole model back into view. t
Water pressure grid values displayed on model

Now hide the grid values again. Clear the Pressure Grid Values checkbox in the sidebar.
The pore pressure can be previewed from the Property Viewer.
Select: Analysis → Property Viewer
Ensure “Show Variable and Constant” is selected in the Property Viewer Options on the left
side, and that the “Pore Pressure” property is selected. The pore pressure should look as
follows:
5-5
The Property Viewer can also be used to view other spatially variable properties, while
running a spatial variability analysis. See the Slide Help for more information.
Select the Close Property Viewer button to return to the model.
Defining Ponded Water

You will notice that some of the water pressure grid points at the left of the model are
above the ground surface. That is because this model will include ponded water at the foot
of the slope, which we have not yet defined.
Ponded water in Slide can be created as follows:
• If a Water Table is drawn above the External Boundary, Slide will automatically
create a region of ponded water below the Water Table and above the External
Boundary. This is the simplest method of defining ponded water.
NOTE: a Water Pressure Grid CANNOT define ponded water. A Water Pressure Grid is only
used to obtain values of pore pressure within the soil. The Grid does not simulate the
weight and hydrostatic forces which act on the slope due to the ponded water.
Add Water Table

As demonstrated in previous tutorials, a Water Table can be used in Slide to define pore
pressure conditions for a slope model. In this tutorial, the Water Table will NOT be used for
pore pressure calculations, since the water pressure grid will be used for this purpose.
Regardless of the method of pore pressure definition (with the exception of the Finite
Element Analysis method), a Water Table can always be used to define ponded water above
a slope. Let’s add a Water Table to see how this works.
Select: Boundaries → Add Water Table

Enter the following coordinates in the prompt line.
Enter vertex [enter=done,esc=cancel]: 33.9 26.9
Enter vertex [enter=done,esc=cancel]:35.8 27.5
Enter vertex [enter=done,esc=cancel]:37.3 27.9
5-6
Enter vertex [enter=done,esc=cancel]: 45 29.1

Enter vertex [enter=done,esc=cancel]: press Enter
Note that pressing Enter with nothing in the prompt line, after the last vertex has been
entered, adds the Water Table to the model, and exits the Add Water Table option. Your
model should now appear as follows:
Water table added to define ponded water.

As you can see at the left of the model, the region above the ground surface and below the
water table is filled with a hatched pattern. This region is automatically determined by Slide
when the water table is drawn above the slope, and indicates the existence of ponded
water.
As we have already emphasized, pore pressures for this model will be calculated using the
water pressure grid and NOT the Water Table, since we have configured the method of pore
pressure calculation in the Project Settings dialog. However, we will point out one extra
feature of using a Water Table in conjunction with a pore pressure grid:
• All points ABOVE the Water Table will automatically be assigned a ZERO pore
pressure, even if the water pressure grid interpolation procedure, determines a
non-zero pore pressure for a point above the water table. This may be useful in
some situations, for example, if a water pressure grid is defined by an insufficient
number of points.
Slip Surfaces
For this tutorial, we will be performing a circular Auto Refine search, to attempt to locate
the critical circular slip surface (i.e. the slip surface with the lowest safety factor). Since this
is the default method, no action is required. NOTE: See the Slide Help system for more
information on this method.
Properties
To complete our modeling, we still have to define our material properties, and we will then
be ready to run the analysis.
(default) material selected. Select OK.
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• Cohesion = 11
• Phi = 28
• Grid (Total Head) = On
In the Define Material Properties dialog, you will notice the Grid (Total Head) On / Off
toggle, under Water Parameters. This allows you to toggle the effect of a Water Pressure
Grid ON or OFF for any given soil. If the water pressure grid is turned OFF, then pore
pressure will be ZERO for that soil. In this example, we are of course leaving the grid ON,
since we want to see the results of using the water pressure grid.
Since we are dealing with a single material model, and since you entered properties with
the first (default) material selected, you do not have to Assign these properties to the
material in the Define Material Properties dialog) for you. For multiple material models, it is
necessary for the user to assign properties with the Assign Properties option. This is
discussed in Tutorial 2.
We are now finished with the modeling, and can proceed to run the analysis and interpret
the results.
Compute
Before you analyze your model, save it as a file called WPG.slmd.
The Slide Compute engine will proceed in running the analysis. This should only take a few
seconds. When completed, you are ready to view the results in Interpret.
Interpret
5-8

By default, the Global Minimum surface for a Bishop analysis, is initially displayed. The
minimum safety factor = 1.491.
Let’s view the results for another analysis method. Select Janbu Simplified from the drop-list
in the toolbar.
For this model, the Janbu Global Minimum slip surface is different from the Bishop surface.
Global Minimum surface information, for each analysis method, is always available in the
Info Viewer.
Scroll down the Info Viewer, to view the Global Minimum surface information. Note that
each surface has different center coordinates, and radius. Close the Info Viewer view, by
selecting the X in the upper right corner of the view (make sure you select the view X and
not the application X, so you don’t close the INTERPRET program!)
Add Query
Let’s now add a query on the Global Minimum for the Bishop analysis, and plot pore
pressure along the slip surface.
First, select the Bishop analysis method from the toolbar, if it is not already selected.
Queries can be added with the Add Query option in the Query menu. However, a shortcut
for adding a query corresponding to a Global Minimum slip surface, is to right-click
anywhere on the slip surface, or on the radial lines joining the slip center to the slip surface
endpoints, and select Add Query from the popup menu.
Do this now, for the Bishop analysis Global Minimum.
Note that the colour of the Global Minimum surface has changed to black, indicating that a
5-9
query has been added. (Queries are displayed using black. The Global Minimum, before the
query was added, was displayed in green).
Graph Pore Pressure

After a query has been added, data can be graphed using the Graph Query option.
Select: Query → Graph Query
Since only one Query exists (on the Global Minimum), it is automatically selected, and the
Graph Slice Data dialog will appear.
TIP: if you select Graph Query BEFORE you have added any queries, Slide will automatically
create a Query for the Global Minimum, and display the Graph Slice Data dialog. This saves
the user the step of using the Add Query option.
Let’s graph pore pressure along the slip surface.

Select Pore Pressure from the Primary Data drop-list. Select Create Plot.
You should see the plot shown below.
Pore pressure graphed along slip surface.

This graph shows the pore pressure calculated at the midpoint of the base of each slice, by
interpolation from the water pressure grid values.
5 - 10
Chart Properties
After a Query graph is created, the Chart Properties options in the sidebar allow you to
customize the graph appearance (Edit Properties button) or change the plot data.
These options are also available through the right-click menu, by right-clicking on a chart
and selecting Chart Properties or Change Plot Data. This is left as an optional exercise.
5 - 11
Tutorial 6 Support
• Homogeneous, single material slope
• Grouted tieback support
• Cuckoo Search (non-circular surface search)
• Multi Scenario modeling
• Support Forces
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 6: Support
Introduction
This tutorial will demonstrate the modeling of support in Slide. Various types of slope
reinforcement can be modeled in Slide, including geo-textiles, drilled or launched soil nails,
tiebacks, rock bolts, piles and micro piles.
We will use the Multi Scenario modeling option, to create and analyze two model scenarios:
1) with no support and 2) with support added.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 06 Support.slmd data file.
All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File > Recent Folders >
Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu.
Model
Multi Scenario Document Viewer
Open up Slide. Notice the Document Viewer pane in the sidebar.
Save the model before proceeding. Now, let’s rename the Group and set up the scenarios as
follows:
• Right-click on “Group 1” and select Rename from the popup menu. Rename the
group “Support Model”. Click Save and Close.
• Right-click on “Group 1” and select Add Scenario from the popup menu. Do this
twice.
• Rename the scenarios “No Support” and “With Tieback Support,” respectively.

Let’s add the External Boundary. Ensure you have clicked on the Master Scenario from the
Document Viewer or from the tabs at the bottom. To add the external boundary, select Add
External Boundary from the toolbar or the Boundaries menu.
6-2
Note that entering “c” after the last vertex has been entered, automatically connects the
first and last vertices (closes the boundary), and exits the Add External Boundary option.
You have now defined the External Boundary. Click through the scenarios to see it has been
defined for all of them. Ensure you have returned to the Master Scenario before
proceeding.
Slip Surfaces
For this tutorial, we will be performing a non-circular surface Cuckoo Search. Click on the
Surfaces workflow tab.
Select: Surfaces → Surface Options. Click the “Non-Circular” radio button and select
“Cuckoo Search” from the Search Method drop-down. Click OK. This setting will propagate
through the scenarios.
Properties
Now let’s define the material properties.
(default) material selected.
• Cohesion = 3
• Phi = 19.6
• Water Surfaces = None
When you are finished entering properties, select OK.
NOTE: since we are dealing with a single material model, and since you entered properties
with the first (default) material selected, you do not have to Assign these properties to the
material in the Define Material Properties dialog) for you.
We are finished with the first part of the modeling (before adding the support), and can
proceed to run the analysis and interpret the results.
After we take a quick look at the results without support, we will add a support pattern to
our other scenario, and re-run the analysis.
6-3
Compute
Since our scenarios are currently identical, we only need to run one. Uncheck all scenarios
except the master scenario as shown:
Click OK. The Slide Compute engine will proceed in running the analysis. This should only
take a few seconds. When completed, you are ready to view the results in Interpret.
Interpret
This will start the Slide Interpret program. You should see the following figure:
6-4
By default, you will see the Global Minimum slip surface for the Bishop Simplified analysis
method. The safety factor of this surface is .982, so this slope is just at critical equilibrium,
and would certainly require support in order to be considered stable.
Select the Janbu simplified analysis method. The Janbu method has located a different
Global Minimum surface, but the safety factor is also less than 1.
Let’s go back to the modeler, add some support, and re-run the analysis. In the Slide
Interpret program, select the Modeler button from the toolbar or the Analysis menu.
Model
Now we will add grouted tieback support. Click on the “With Tieback Support” scenario
from the Document Viewer or the Scenario Tabs.
Scenario Tabs
When you create multiple scenarios, notice that tabs will automatically be created at the
lower left corner of the view, so that you may easily switch between different scenarios by
selecting the tabs. This is illustrated below.
You may switch between different scenarios by selecting the tabs, or by selecting the
scenario name from the document viewer pane in the sidebar.
Add Support Pattern

Support elements can be added to a model individually, with the Add Support option in the
Support menu. If multiple support elements in a regular pattern are to be added, you can
use the Add Support Pattern option in the Support menu.
Select the Loading & Support workflow tab, and make sure the “With Tieback Support”
scenario is selected.
We will use the Add Support Pattern option, to add a uniformly spaced support pattern to
the slope.
Select: Support → Add Support Pattern
You will first see the Support Pattern dialog.
Set the Orientation = Angle from Horizontal, Angle = –10 degrees, Length = 15, and Spacing
= 3. Select OK.
6-5
As you move the mouse, you will notice a small red cross, which follows the cursor around,
and snaps to the nearest point on the nearest external boundary segment.
To define the support pattern, all we need to do is enter the start and end points of the
pattern, on the external boundary. The points can be entered graphically with the mouse,
by clicking the left mouse button when the red cross is at the desired location. However, we
will use the prompt line to enter the following exact points:
Enter first point on boundary [esc=quit]: 45 32.5
Enter second point on boundary [esc=quit]: 34 27
Your model should appear as follows:
Support Pattern added to slope.

Five support elements have been added to the model, at an angle of –10 degrees from the
horizontal. Each element is 15 meters long, and the spacing between each element is 3
meters (measured along the slope), since these are the values we entered in the Support
Pattern dialog. Now let’s define the properties of the support.
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Support Properties
To define support properties, select Define Support from the toolbar or the Properties
menu.
Select: Properties → Define Support
In Slide, the following support types are available:
• end anchored support (e.g. rock bolts)
• geotextile (e.g. geosynthetic, geogrid)
• grouted tieback (with or without friction)
• soil nail
• pile / micro pile (includes shear, passive, or EFW piles)
• launched soil nail
• RSPile pile support element
For this example, we will use Grouted Tieback support.
In the Define Support Properties dialog, select the Grouted Tieback support type. Enter
Bonded Length (percent) = 50, and Bond Strength = 15. Select OK.
Notice that the bonded length of 50% is displayed by drawing a thicker line segment along
the bonded length of each support element. The Bonded Length is always measured from
the END of each element.
NOTE: since our model only uses one type of support, and since you entered properties
with the first (default) support type selected, you do not have to Assign these properties to
the support. Slide automatically assigns the default properties (i.e. the properties of the first
support type in the Define Support Properties dialog) for you.
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Compute
Select Compute to run the analysis.
Click OK on the dialog to compute all scenarios. When the analysis is completed, you are
Interpret

This will start the Slide Interpret program. You should see the following figure:
Results of analysis after adding tieback support.

The Global Minimum slip surface for a Bishop analysis is displayed. The minimum safety
factor is now 1.391, compared to 0.982 before adding the support.
Tile the views of the two scenarios, so we can compare the results side by side.
Select: Window → Tile Vertically
6-8
Minimize the Master Scenario and click the “Tile Vertically” button again. Click the mouse in
each view and select Zoom All (remember you can use the F2 function key as a shortcut to
Zoom All.)
Right-click on the Legend in each view, and select Hide Legend. (Note: to display the Legend
again, you can right-click and select Show Legend, or select Legend Options in the View
menu).
Your screen should look as follows, and we can compare results.
Global Minimum before and after adding support.

The effect of the support on the location of the Global Minimum surface can now be seen.
The Global Minimum surface has been forced “outside” of the region reinforced by the
support, and only intersects the ends of the top three tiebacks.
Now view all surfaces generated, for each scenario. In each view, select the All Surfaces
option from the toolbar or the Data menu.
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All Surfaces displayed for both models.

The above figure demonstrates how the support has shifted the slip surfaces down and to
the right, into a “safe” region of higher safety factor.
For each view, select Filter Surfaces from the toolbar or Data menu. In the Filter Surfaces
dialog, select the third option, and enter the number of surfaces = 50. Select Done.
You are now viewing the 50 lowest safety factor surfaces, of ALL surfaces analyzed, for each
model, as shown below. Note: for the supported slope, the material colour and slip circle
colour are nearly the same. Let’s change the contour colours so that we can see the slip
circles clearly. Right-click and select Contour Options, and select a different Format option
(e.g. Hot Spots). The slip circles are now clearly visible in both scenarios.
6 - 10
Fifty lowest safety factor surfaces displayed.

The Filter Surfaces dialog also allows you to view slip surfaces for which no safety factor
could be calculated. Try the following:
1. For the scenario WITH support, maximize the view and select Zoom All.
2. Select Filter Surfaces. Select the Surfaces With Error Code option, and select Error
Code –108. Select Done.
Surfaces with negative driving moment.

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All surfaces with Error Code –108 (driving force or moment < 0.1), are now displayed in
purple on the model, as shown in the above figure. For these slip surfaces, the applied
support loads on the slip surfaces are sufficient to generate an overall very small or negative
driving moment (Bishop analysis). This would tend to move the sliding mass from left to
right, rather than the expected right to left, and hence a valid safety factor cannot be
calculated.
This situation can occur when the method of support Force Application = ACTIVE, as
discussed below.
Select the Info Viewer option, where we can view a summary of the number of Valid and
Invalid surfaces which were computed.

Scroll down in the Info Viewer listing, and notice the number of Valid and Invalid Surfaces,
for each analysis method, for each scenario.
Info Viewer analysis summary.

For this model, over 10000 slip surfaces (i.e. about 50% of all slip surfaces analyzed)
resulted in Invalid slip surfaces. Looking at the support scenario, when excluding error code
1000 (no valid slip surface), most of these are due to Error Code –108 (driving moment or
force < 0.1). This is because the method of support Force Application = ACTIVE.
Remember that when we define the support properties, the method of Force Application
can be specified as either ACTIVE or PASSIVE. In this case, we used the default method for
Grouted Tieback support, which is ACTIVE.
• When the method of Force Application = ACTIVE, many surfaces, especially shallow
slip surfaces near the ground surface, may be “stabilized” by a small or negative
driving force or moment, and display Error Code –108. This is because ACTIVE
support decreases the driving force in the factor of safety calculation.
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• However, if the method of Force Application = PASSIVE, valid safety factors can be
calculated for these surfaces. This is because PASSIVE support does NOT decrease
the driving force; instead, it increases the resisting force in the factor of safety
calculation.
As an additional exercise, when you have completed this tutorial:
1. Change the method of Force Application for the tiebacks, to PASSIVE, and re-
run the analysis.
2. Look at the Info Viewer in Interpret. You will see that the total number of
Invalid surfaces for the support scenario is smaller (about 10518) and only 32
are due to Error Code - 108.
See the end of this tutorial, for more information about ACTIVE and PASSIVE support in
Slide. Close the Info Viewer view.
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Show Support Forces

The support force diagrams for all support elements can be viewed with the Show Support
Forces option.
Select: Data → Show Support Forces
Display of support force diagrams.

To make your screen look similar to the above figure:
1. Turn off All Surfaces, and zoom in to the support.
2. Select Support Force Options from the Data menu or the toolbar. The Support Force
Options dialog allows you to configure the appearance of the support force display.
3. The following settings will display the support forces as shown above. Select Done.
4. Re-display the Legend (right-click and select Show Legend).

5. When Support Forces are displayed, notice that the Legend indicates the failure
mode(s) along the length of the support (red = tensile, green = pullout).
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A support force diagram represents the available support force which can be mobilized by a
given support element, at any point along the length of the support.
Support force diagrams are determined by evaluating each possible failure mode along the
length of the support. For example, for a grouted tieback, the possible failure modes are:
1. Pullout
2. Tensile Failure (of the tieback tendon)
3. Stripping (i.e. support remains embedded in slope).
The failure mode which provides the MINIMUM force, at each point along the length of the
support, determines the Force Diagram.
The Force Diagram and the point of intersection of a slip surface with a support element,
determine the force magnitude which is applied to the slip surface.
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Overview of Support Implementation in SLIDE

The following is a general overview of the support implementation in Slide. For complete
details, please see the Slide Help system.
Intersection with Slip Surface

First of all, in order for the support to have an effect on a given slip surface, the support
must intersect the slip surface. If the support does NOT intersect a slip surface, then NO
support force will be applied to the slip surface, and the support will have no effect on the
safety factor of that slip surface. This is illustrated below.
Support does NOT intersect slip surface – NO effect on safety factor.
Support intersects slip surface – support force will be applied.
Location of Applied Support Force

When support intersects a slip surface, a force is applied at the point of intersection of the
slip surface with the support (i.e. to the base of a single slice). The applied force is simply a
line load, with units of FORCE per unit width of slope.
Support force is applied at the point of intersection with slip surface.
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Orientation of Applied Support Force

The orientation of the applied support force, will depend on the type of support which is
used.
• For End Anchored support, Grouted Tiebacks, and Soil Nails, the orientation of the
applied force is assumed to be parallel to the direction of the support, as shown in
the figure above.
• For GeoTextiles or User Defined support, the support force can be applied tangent
to the slip surface, parallel to the support, at an angle which bisects the tangent and
parallel angles, or at any user defined angle.
Magnitude of Applied Support Force

The magnitude of the applied support force will depend on the support properties entered
in the Define Support Properties dialog. These are used to determine a Force Diagram for
your support. A support Force Diagram simply represents the available force which the
support can apply to the sliding mass, at any point along the length of a support element.
Soil Nail Force Diagram

The Force Diagram and the point of intersection of a slip surface with a support element,
determine the force magnitude which is applied to the slip surface.
For detailed information on how the Force Diagram is determined for each support type,
see the Slide Help system.
Active vs. Passive Support

For each Support Type in the Define Support Properties dialog, the user may choose the
method of Force Application – Active or Passive. The significance of the Force Application
method is as follows.
In general terms, the Factor of Safety is defined as the ratio of the forces resisting motion,
to the driving forces. Driving forces include the mass of each slice accelerated through
gravity, seismic forces, and water in a tension crack. Resisting forces arise from the cohesion
and frictional strength of the slip surface.
Active Support is included in the Slide analysis as in Eqn.1.
resisting force + TN tan φ

F= Eqn.1
driving force − TS
6 - 17
where TN is the normal component and TS is the shear component of the force applied to
the base of a slice, by the support.
Active Support is assumed to act in such a manner as to DECREASE the DRIVING FORCE in
the Factor of Safety calculation. Grouted Tiebacks, tensioned cables or rock bolts, which
exert a force on the sliding mass before any movement has taken place, could be
considered as Active support.
Passive Support is included in the Slide analysis as in Eqn.2.
resisting force + TN tan φ + TS

F= Eqn.2
driving force
By this definition, Passive Support is assumed to INCREASE the RESISTING FORCE provided
by shear restraint, in the Factor of Safety equation.
Soil nails or geo-textiles, which only develop a resisting force after some movement within
the slope has taken place, could be considered as Passive support.
Since the exact sequence of loading and movement in a slope is never known in advance,
the choice of Active or Passive Force Application is somewhat arbitrary. The user may
decide which of the two methods is more appropriate for the slope and support system
being analyzed.
In general, Passive support will always give a LOWER factor of safety, than Active support
(when a valid factor of safety can be calculated for Active support force application).
Back Analysis of Support Force

Finally, we will mention another very useful feature in Slide – the Back Analysis of support
force option. This option is useful in the preliminary stages of support design.
It allows the user to determine a critical slip surface which requires the MAXIMUM support
force, in order to achieve a specified factor of safety.
The support force magnitude which is determined can be used to estimate the necessary
capacity and spacing of support. The slip surface which is determined can be used to
estimate the required length of support.
For more information on the Back Analysis option, see the Slide Help system. A movie which
illustrates the Back Analysis feature can be found in the Tutorials section of the Help
system.
6 - 18
Tutorial 7 Finite Element Groundwater Seepage
• Steady state seepage analysis
• Groundwater analysis mode
• Slope stability analysis
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 7: Finite Element Groundwater Seepage
Introduction
Within the Slide program, Slide has the capability to carry out a finite element groundwater
seepage analysis for steady state or transient conditions. This tutorial will demonstrate
steady state seepage. Transient groundwater seepage is discussed in later tutorials.
Finite element groundwater analysis in Slide allows you to define and analyze a
groundwater problem using the same model as for the slope stability problem. The
boundaries of the problem only need to be defined once, and will be used for both the
groundwater analysis and the slope stability analysis.
After a groundwater seepage analysis is performed, the results (pore pressures), can be
automatically utilized by the slope stability analysis engine in Slide.
NOTE:
• The groundwater analysis capability in Slide can be considered a completely self-
contained groundwater analysis program, and can be used independently of the
slope stability functionality of Slide.
• You may perform a groundwater analysis in Slide, without necessarily performing a
slope stability analysis.
• Although the Slide groundwater analysis is geared towards the calculation of pore
pressures for slope stability problems, it is not restricted to slope geometry
configurations. The groundwater modeling and analysis capabilities in Slide can be
used to analyze an arbitrary, 2-dimensional groundwater problem, for saturated /
unsaturated flow conditions.
Groundwater Modeling
The groundwater modeling options in Slide are all contained within the Slide Model
program.
In order to enable steady state groundwater modeling, it is first necessary to set the
Groundwater Method in Project Settings to Steady State FEA. When you do this:
• A Groundwater Analysis Mode option will be available. This allows you to select
either Slope Stability analysis mode or Steady State Groundwater mode.
• When you are in Groundwater analysis mode, the menu and toolbar will present all
of the necessary groundwater modeling options.
The following general procedure is required, in order to use the Slide program for a
groundwater analysis.
Project Settings
In order to perform a steady state groundwater analysis, the first thing you must do is set
the Groundwater Method in Project Settings:
1. Select Project Settings from the toolbar or the Analysis menu.
2. Select the Groundwater page, and set the Groundwater Method = Steady State FEA
(note: FEA stands for Finite Element Analysis).
7-2
3. You may configure the Groundwater Analysis parameters as necessary (i.e.

Tolerance or Maximum Number of Iterations) by selecting the FEA Options button.
4. Select OK.
The Groundwater Analysis Mode option will be enabled, as described below.
Groundwater Analysis Mode

When you set the Groundwater Method = Steady State FEA, note:
• A Groundwater workflow tab will appear.
• Mode tabs will appear at the lower left of the application window.
• Analysis mode can be selected from the Analysis menu.
You can use any of these options to switch between different analysis modes of the Slide
Model program – Slope Stability or Steady State Groundwater.
• The Slope Stability analysis mode allows you to define the elements of your model
which are relevant to the slope stability analysis.
• The Groundwater analysis mode allows you to define the elements of your model
which are relevant to the groundwater analysis.
When you switch between Slope Stability mode and Groundwater mode, you will notice
that the menus and toolbars are automatically updated.
7-3
Boundaries
The SAME boundaries are used in both the groundwater and slope stability analysis.
However, the model boundaries can only be defined when the Analysis Mode = Slope
Stability.
• You MUST create the model boundaries, when Analysis Mode = Slope Stability.
• You CANNOT create or edit the model boundaries, when Analysis Mode =
Groundwater.
For details about defining boundaries in Slide, see the previous tutorials, or the Slide Help
system.
Meshing
The groundwater analysis in Slide is a finite element analysis, and therefore a finite element
mesh is required in order to solve the problem.
To create the finite element mesh:
• You can do this with a single mouse click, by selecting the Discretize and Mesh
option. This will automatically create a graded finite element mesh within your
model boundaries.
• If the mesh requires customization, several options are available in the Mesh menu,
which allow you to customize the mesh as necessary.
Finite element mesh for groundwater analysis.
7-4
Boundary Conditions
Once the finite element mesh is satisfactory, the user must then set up the boundary
conditions which define the groundwater problem. This is done with the Set Boundary
Conditions option, which allows you to define all of the necessary pressure and flow
boundary conditions along the model boundaries.
Hydraulic Properties
The permeability (hydraulic conductivity) characteristics of each material are defined with
the Define Hydraulic Properties option. You may define a saturated permeability for each
material. In addition, various models are available for defining the unsaturated
permeability, or you may create a user-defined permeability function.
7-5
Groundwater Compute
When all of your groundwater boundary conditions and material properties have been
defined, then you are ready to run the groundwater analysis.
The groundwater analysis engine in Slide is a separate program from the slope stability
analysis engine. It allows you to run the groundwater analysis independently of the slope
stability analysis. To run the analysis:
• Select the Compute (Groundwater) option, from the Analysis menu or the toolbar.
This will run the Slide Groundwater Analysis engine.
• You will see a Compute dialog while the analysis is running. When the analysis is
finished, you will be returned to the Slide Model program.
After you have computed the groundwater analysis, you should view the results of the
groundwater analysis, by selecting the Interpret (groundwater) option.
If the groundwater analysis results are satisfactory, then you can return to the Slide Model
program, switch the Analysis Mode = Slope Stability, and proceed with your slope stability
analysis.
When you select the slope stability Compute option, the slope stability analysis will
automatically use the pore pressures calculated from the groundwater analysis.
Groundwater Interpret
The results of a groundwater analysis are viewed with the Slide Interpret program, using the
options in the Groundwater menu. NOTE:
• Groundwater analysis results can be viewed simultaneously with the slope stability
analysis results. The display of groundwater results (i.e. pore pressure contours),
and the display of slope stability results (i.e. slip surfaces, safety factors etc) are
fully integrated within the Slide Interpret program.
• If you only wish to view groundwater results without the slope stability results, or
vice versa, then you can easily turn display options on or off, as necessary.
To run the Slide Interpret program, select the Interpret (groundwater) option, from the
Analysis menu or the toolbar, after you have computed the groundwater analysis with the
Compute (Groundwater) option.
7-6
After you perform a groundwater analysis with Slide, it is always a good idea to first use the
Interpret program, to check that the groundwater analysis results are reasonable. If not,
then you should go back to the Slide Model program, and check that you have defined your
model correctly.
A simple introduction to groundwater modeling and data interpretation using Slide is found
in the following tutorial.
7-7
Steady State Seepage Tutorial

This tutorial will demonstrate a simple groundwater seepage analysis using Slide.
We will begin with the same model used for Tutorial 05 (the Water Pressure Grid tutorial).
However, rather than read in a Water Pressure Grid from a file, we will carry out a seepage
analysis in order to determine the pore pressures within the slope.
We will then re-run the slope stability analysis, and compare the results with Tutorial 05.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 07 Finite Element
Groundwater Seepage.slmd data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed
by selecting File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu.
Model
First, let’s read in the Tutorial 05 file. From the Slide main menu, select File > Recent Folders
> Tutorials Folder. You will see the Open File dialog.
Open the Tutorial 05 Water Pressure Grid.slmd file.
Right-click on the master scenario and select “Add Scenario.” Do this twice. Rename the
scenarios “WPG” and “Seepage” by right clicking and selecting “Rename” for each scenario.
Your Document Viewer should look as shown:
Click on the Seepage scenario before proceeding.
Project Settings
In order to perform a finite element groundwater analysis with Slide, the first thing you
must always do, is set the Groundwater Method in Project Settings.
In the Project Settings dialog, select the Groundwater page, and set the Groundwater
Method = Steady State FEA. Select OK.
7-8
You will see a warning message that the water pressure grid and water table will be
deleted. Select Yes. Note:
• The Water Pressure Grid (the grid of blue triangles) has disappeared from this
scenario. Since we will be obtaining pore pressures from the finite element analysis,
the Water Pressure Grid will not be used, and has been deleted. However it is still
present in the “WPG” scenario.
• The Water Table which was used for defining the ponded water in Tutorial 5, has
also been deleted. When we define the groundwater boundary conditions, ponded
water will automatically be created based on the total head boundary conditions.
• Groundwater analysis mode is enabled. The Analysis Mode allows you to switch
between Slope Stability Analysis Mode, and Groundwater Analysis Mode.
To begin with, we will use Slope Stability Analysis mode, since we have to do a bit of editing
to the boundaries. (Boundary defining and editing can only be done in Slope Stability
Analysis Mode).
Boundary Editing
Before we proceed with the groundwater modeling, we have to make one small
modification to the external boundary.
To correctly define the boundary conditions for the groundwater problem, we need to add
two vertices to the external boundary. Select the Geometry tab, and select Add Vertices
from the toolbar.
Select: Boundaries → Edit → Add Vertices
Enter coordinates for the following two vertices:
Enter vertex on boundary [esc=done]: 32 26
Enter vertex on boundary [esc=done]: 65 31.8
Enter vertex on boundary [esc=done]: press Enter or right-click and select

Done
7-9
The two vertices you have added define the level of the water table (phreatic surface) at the
slope face, and at the right edge of the model. These vertices will be necessary in order to
correctly assign the total head boundary conditions.
New vertices added to external boundary.

Also notice that because all scenarios in a group must have the same geometry, these
vertices have also been added to the “WPG” scenario and the Master scenario. Ensure you
have returned to the “Seepage” scenario before proceeding.
7 - 10
Groundwater Analysis Mode

We are now ready to define the groundwater problem. The groundwater modeling options
in Slide are only enabled when you set the Analysis Mode = Groundwater. Select the
Groundwater workflow tab, or the Steady State Groundwater tab at the lower left of the
screen.
When the Analysis Mode = Groundwater, you will notice that the menus and toolbars are
updated:
• The modeling options relevant to the Groundwater Analysis are now available.
• The modeling options which are relevant to the slope stability analysis, are now
hidden.
Also notice that the Search Grid (for the circular surface Grid Search) and the Slope Limits
symbols, are not displayed, when you are in Groundwater Analysis Mode.
In general:
• Modeling entities which are only applicable to the SLOPE STABILITY ANALYSIS are
NOT displayed when ANALYSIS MODE = GROUNDWATER.
• Modeling entities which are only applicable to the GROUNDWATER ANALYSIS are
NOT displayed when ANALYSIS MODE = SLOPE STABILITY.
7 - 11
Meshing
The groundwater analysis in Slide is a finite element analysis, and therefore a finite element
mesh is required in order to solve the problem.
You can create the finite element mesh, with a single mouse click, by selecting the
Discretize and Mesh option. In one step, this will automatically:
1. Discretize the model boundaries (the discretization of the boundaries forms the
framework of the finite element mesh)
2. Generate a graded finite element mesh within the model boundaries.
Select: Mesh → Discretize and Mesh
Your model should appear as follows.
NOTE:
• The mesh is generated based on the Mesh Setup parameters specified in the Mesh
Setup dialog (we used the defaults: 3 Noded Triangular elements and Approximate
Number of Elements = 1500).
• For this simple model, the default mesh generated by the Discretize and Mesh
option, is adequate.
• However, note that Slide allows total user control over the generation and
customization of the mesh. If the mesh requires customization, many different
options are available in the Mesh menu, which allow the user to customize the
mesh as necessary.
• Experimenting with the meshing options is beyond the scope of this tutorial. The
user is encouraged to experiment with the mesh options after completing this
tutorial. For details about the use of the mesh options, refer to the Slide Help
system.
Boundary Conditions
After the finite element mesh has been generated, you must define the boundary
conditions which define the groundwater problem you wish to solve.
This is done with the Set Boundary Conditions option, which allows you to define all of the
necessary pressure and flow boundary conditions along the model boundaries.
Notice that by default, when the mesh is generated:
• the slope surface is given an Unknown boundary condition (P=0 or Q= 0)

7 - 12
• the bottom and side edges of the external boundary are given the default Zero
Nodal Flow boundary condition (no symbol is displayed).
We will have to specify the boundary conditions as follows.
Select: Mesh → Set Boundary Conditions

You will see the Set Boundary Conditions dialog.
We will set TOTAL HEAD boundary conditions as follows:

1. First select Zoom All (you can use the F2 function key), to make sure the model is
fully zoomed in the view.
2. Now, make sure the Total Head boundary condition option is selected in the Set
Boundary Conditions dialog, as shown above.
3. In the dialog, enter a Total Head Value = 26 meters. Also make sure the Selection
Mode = Boundary Segments.
4. Now you must select the desired boundary segments, by clicking on them with the
mouse.
5. Click on the THREE segments of the external boundary indicated in the next figure.
(i.e. the left edge of the external boundary, and the two segments at the toe of the
slope).
Assigning boundary conditions (selected segments).
7 - 13
6. When the segments are selected, right-click the mouse and select Assign. A
boundary condition of Total Head = 26 meters is now assigned to these line
segments. (Notice that the program has automatically created ponded water
corresponding to a Total Head = 26 meters. See the next page for more
information).
7. Now enter a Total Head Value = 31.8 meters in the dialog. Select the lower right
segment of the external boundary. Right-click and select Assign.
8. The necessary boundary conditions are now assigned.
The Total Head boundary conditions represent the elevation of the phreatic surface
(ponded water) at the left of the model (26 m), and the elevation of the phreatic surface at
the right edge of the model (31.8 m).
Remember the two extra vertices we added to the model. It is now apparent that these
were necessary in order to assign the total head boundary conditions to the correct
segments of the external boundary.
Select Close in the Set Boundary Conditions dialog.
Automatic Creation of Ponded Water

Notice that the program automatically created ponded water (the blue hatch pattern),
corresponding to the Total Head boundary condition of 26 meters.
Ponded water corresponding to Total Head boundary condition.

Whenever the Total Head boundary conditions indicate that ponded water exists above the
slope, Slide will automatically create the ponded water. This occurs when the value of Total
Head is greater than the y-coordinate along the boundary.
• For the groundwater analysis, the ponded water is simply a display option, which
allows you to check that you have entered the correct Total Head boundary
condition. It is not actually used by the groundwater analysis.
• However, for the slope stability analysis, the ponded water will be used in the
analysis (i.e. the weight and hydrostatic force of the ponded water, will be taken
into account in the slope stability analysis). This ponded water will have the same
effect as the ponded water defined by the Water Table in Tutorial 5 (“WPG”
scenario).
7 - 14
Hydraulic Properties
The last thing we have to do to complete the groundwater model, is define the hydraulic
properties (permeability) of the slope material.
Select: Properties → Define Hydraulic Properties
In the Define Hydraulic Properties dialog, enter a saturated permeability Ks = 5e-8. Select
OK.
NOTE: the model used for this tutorial and the Water Pressure Grid tutorial, is based on a
model from the 1989 ACADS soil slope stability programs review. (Giam, P.S.K. & I.B. Donald
1989, Example problems for testing soil slope stability programs, Civil Engineering Research
Report No. 8 / 1989, Monash University, Australia). The value of Ks comes from this
reference.
ALSO NOTE: since we are dealing with a single material model, and since you entered
properties with the first (default) material selected, you do not have to Assign these
properties to the model. Slide automatically assigns the default properties (i.e. the
properties of the first material in the Define Hydraulic Properties dialog) for you.
We are now finished with the groundwater modeling, and can proceed to run the
groundwater analysis.
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Compute (groundwater)
Before you analyze your model, save it as a file called Tutorial 07.slmd.
Select: File → Save As
Select: Analysis → Compute (groundwater)
By default, only the “Seepage” scenario is selected since it is the only one with seepage set
in the Project Settings. Click OK.
The GROUNDWATER COMPUTE engine will proceed in running the finite element
groundwater analysis. This should only take a few seconds. When completed, you are ready
to view the results. NOTE:
• When you are doing a groundwater analysis with Slide, groundwater results are
stored in a .W01 file. When you COMPUTE the slope stability analysis, results are
stored in a .S01 file.
• These files are all contained within the corresponding folder that is saved with an
.SLMD file.
7 - 16
Interpret (groundwater)
We can now view the results of the groundwater analysis in the Slide Interpret program.
Select: Analysis → Interpret (groundwater)
Your screen should appear as follows.
Pressure Head contours.

By default, you will see contours of Pressure Head on the model. The Legend in the upper
left corner of the view, indicates the values of the contours.
The contour display can be customized with the Contour Options dialog, which is available
in the View menu, or the right-click menu. This is left as an optional exercise to explore after
completing this tutorial.
7 - 17
Water Table
You will notice on the plot, a pink line which is displayed on the model. This line highlights
the location of the Pressure Head = 0 contour boundary.
By definition, a Water Table is defined by the location of the Pressure Head = 0 contour
boundary. Therefore, for a slope model such as this, this line represents the position of the
Water Table (phreatic surface) determined from the finite element analysis.
The display of the seepage analysis Water Table can be turned on or off using the toolbar
shortcut, the Display Options dialog, the sidebar checkbox (shown below), or the right-click
shortcut (right-click ON the Water Table and select Hide Water Table).
Later in the tutorial we will compare the Water Table determined from the seepage analysis
with the Water Table which we entered in Tutorial 5 (scenario “WPG”). You will see that the
location of the Water Table is very similar in both models.
Also notice that the contours of Pressure Head, above the Water Table, have negative
values. The negative pressure head calculated above the water table is commonly referred
to as the “matric suction” in the unsaturated zone. This is discussed later in the tutorial.
To view contours of other data (Total Head, Pressure, or Discharge Velocity), simply use the
mouse to select from the drop-list in the toolbar.
Select Total Head contours from the drop-list.
7 - 18
Flow Vectors
Flow Vectors and other Display Options can be toggled on or off with shortcut buttons in
the toolbar or the Display Options in the sidebar. Turn ON the Flow Vectors option, and turn
OFF the Boundary Condition options.
Total Head contours and flow vectors.

As expected, the direction of the flow vectors corresponds to decreasing values of the total
head contours.
NOTE: the relative size of the flow vectors (as displayed on the screen), corresponds to the
magnitude of the flow velocity. Select Total Discharge Velocity contours (from the toolbar
list), and verify this. The size of the flow vectors can be scaled in the Display Options dialog.
This is left as an optional exercise.
Now turn off the flow vectors by re-selecting the flow vectors option from the toolbar.
7 - 19
Flow Lines
Select Total Head contours again.
We can also add Flow Lines to the plot. Flow lines can be added individually, with the Add
Flow Line option. Or multiple flow lines can be automatically generated with the Add
Multiple Flow Lines option.
Select: Groundwater → Lines → Add Multiple Flow Lines
1. First, make sure the Snap option is enabled in the Status Bar. If not, then click on the
Snap option in the Status Bar (or you can right click the mouse and enable Snap
from the popup menu).
2. Click the mouse on the UPPER RIGHT CORNER of the external boundary.
3. Click the mouse on the LOWER RIGHT CORNER of the external boundary.
4. Right click and select Done.
5. You will then see a dialog. Enter a value of 8 and select OK.
The generation of the flow lines may take a few seconds. Your screen should look as
follows.
Total Head contours and flow lines.

Notice that the flow lines are perpendicular to the Total Head contours. (Note: only 6 flow
7 - 20
lines are displayed, although we entered a value of 8, because the first and last flow lines
are exactly on the boundary, and are not displayed.)
Now delete the flow lines (select Delete Flow Lines from the toolbar, right click and select
Delete All, and select OK in the dialog which appears).
Iso-Lines
An iso-line is a line of constant contour value, displayed on a contour plot.
As we discussed earlier, the pink line which is displayed on the model, represents the Water
Table determined by the groundwater analysis. By definition, the Water Table represents an
iso-line of zero pressure head. Let’s verify that the displayed Water Table does in fact
represent a line of zero pressure (P = 0 iso-line), by adding an iso-line to the plot.
First, make sure you select Pressure Head contours.
Select: Groundwater → Lines → Add Iso Line
Click the mouse on the Water Table line (if Snap is enabled, the cursor will snap exactly on
the Water Table). You will then see the Add Iso-Line dialog.
The dialog will display the exact value (Pressure Head) of the location at which you clicked.
It may not be exactly zero, so enter zero in the dialog, and select the Add button. An Iso-
Line of zero pressure head will be added to the model. It overlaps the displayed Water
Table exactly, verifying that the Water Table is the P = 0 line. (If you hide the display of the
Water Table, you will see the dark red iso-line in the same location). Add two more iso-lines
at pressure head values = 1 and 2 meters. Notice that the pressure head = 1 iso-line
coincides with the bottom of the ponded water, which is exactly 1 meter in depth. Delete
the iso-lines with the Delete Iso-Lines option.
Iso-lines at 0, 1 and 2 meters pressure head

7 - 21
Queries
Another useful feature of the Interpret program, is the ability to create a Query, to obtain
detailed analysis results.
For groundwater results, a Query allows the user to add a line or polyline, anywhere on the
model contours. The Query can then be used to graph values of the contoured data along
the Query line or polyline.
Let’s demonstrate this now. We will create a query which consists of a single vertical line
segment, from the vertex at the crest of the slope, to the bottom of the external boundary.
Select: Groundwater → Query → Add Material Query
1. The Snap option should still be enabled. Click the mouse on the vertex at the crest
of the slope, at coordinates (50 , 35).
2. Enter the coordinates (50 , 20) in the prompt line, as the second point (or if you
have the Ortho Snap option enabled, you can enter this graphically).
3. Right click and select Done, or press Enter. You will see the following dialog.
4. Enter a value of 20 in the edit box, check the Show queried values checkbox, and
select OK.
5. The query will be created, as you will see by the vertical line segment, and the
display of interpolated values at the 20 points along the line segment.
6. Zoom in to the query, so that you can read the values.
7. Now we can graph this data with the Graph Material Queries option (in the
Groundwater > Query menu or the toolbar).
8. A shortcut to graph data for a single query, is to right click the mouse ON the Query
line. Do this now, and select Graph Data from the popup menu. A graph will be
immediately generated, as shown in the next figure.
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Query of Pressure Head data.

The Query we have created, gives us the pressure head along a vertical line from the crest
of the slope to the bottom of the external boundary. The data is obtained by interpolation
from the pressure head contours.
NOTE that although we have only used a single line segment to define this Query, in general
a Query can be an arbitrary polyline with any number of segments, added anywhere on or
within the external boundary.
Data Tips Query

Finally, we will demonstrate one more querying feature, the Data Tips Query option, which
allows you to graphically obtain interpolated values at any point on the data contours.
1. First, close the graph of Pressure Head which we created (select the X in the corner
of the view).
2. Click on the Data Tips box on the status bar (at the bottom of the application
window), until the Query Data Tips option is enabled.
3. Now hover the mouse over the contours on the model. As you move the mouse
over the contours, the exact interpolated contour value and x-y location, is
displayed in a popup data tip.
4. This is a convenient, interactive and graphical way of examining contour values at
any point on the model.
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Data Tips Query option.

For example, in the above figure, the Data Tip Query is displaying the negative pressure
head (suction) in the unsaturated zone above the water table.
Note: in the above figure, we have deleted the query line segment.
• Queries can be deleted with the Delete Material Query option (toolbar or
Groundwater > Query menu).
• A shortcut to delete individual queries, is to right click on the entity, and select
Delete from the popup menu.
That wraps up our demonstration of viewing groundwater analysis results with the Slide
Interpret program.
Now, let’s get back to the slope stability analysis, so that we can run the analysis using the
pore pressures generated by the groundwater analysis.
You should be returned to the Slide Model program.
7 - 24
Model
In the Slide Model program, change the Analysis Mode from Groundwater to Slope Stability,
by selecting the view tab at the lower left of the screen.
Notice that the modeling entities which are applicable to the slope stability analysis are
once again displayed (e.g. Slope Limits). The modeling entities which are applicable to the
groundwater analysis (e.g. mesh and boundary conditions), are now hidden.
Compute
Now let’s run the slope stability analysis.
We don’t need to run the Master Scenario so uncheck this one and click OK. The slope
stability analysis will be run. Since we have already carried out the groundwater analysis,
the slope stability analysis for the “Seepage” scenario will automatically use the pore
pressures calculated by the groundwater analysis.
NOTE:
• If we had NOT computed the groundwater analysis first, it would automatically be
computed BEFORE the slope stability analysis, when you select the slope stability
compute option.
• However, in general, it is always a good idea to compute the groundwater analysis
separately, and view the results of the groundwater analysis (as we have done in
this tutorial), BEFORE you proceed to the slope stability analysis.
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Interpret
You should see the following figure.
Slope stability analysis using pore pressures from groundwater analysis.

As you can see, after you have performed BOTH:
• A finite element groundwater analysis, and
• A slope stability analysis
with Slide, the results of BOTH analyses can be displayed simultaneously in the Slide
Interpret program. You can view the contours of groundwater analysis results on the model
and also view the slope stability results (slip surfaces etc).
Notice that TWO legends are displayed – one legend is for the slope stability (safety factor)
results, and the other legend is for the groundwater contours.
Since we have already viewed and discussed the groundwater analysis results, let’s turn OFF
the groundwater display options, so that we will only view the slope stability analysis
results.
TIP: a convenient shortcut for quickly toggling the display of ALL groundwater (or slope
stability) results ON or OFF is to use the Mode options in the View menu. However, we still
want to display the Water Table from the groundwater analysis, so we will do the following.
1. Right-click and select Display Options. Select the Groundwater tab, and clear ALL of
the checkboxes for the groundwater display options, EXCEPT the FEA Water Table
and Ponded Water (Hatch) checkboxes. Select Done.
2. Right-click and select Contour Options (groundwater). Set the contour mode =
Materials. Select Done.
3. Right-click on the groundwater Legend. Select Hide Legend from the popup menu.
7 - 26
Now we are only viewing the slope stability results in Slide Interpret.
Let’s now compare the results with the Tutorial 5 results.
Tile the two scenario views.
Select Zoom All in each view. You should see the following.
Tutorial 5 comparison with Tutorial 7 (safety factor).

Finally, we can compare results. As you can see, the Global Minimum safety factor, for the
Bishop analysis method, is nearly the same, for each file (Tutorial5 = 1.491 and Tutorial 7 =
1.514)
The small difference can be easily accounted for, by the fact that in Tutorial 5, the pore
pressures were derived from a water pressure grid file (which was originally digitized from a
flow net). In Tutorial 7, the pore pressures were determined from the finite element
groundwater seepage analysis.
NOTE: we should check that the Global Minimum surfaces, in each file, are actually the
SAME surface. We can do this easily as follows:
1. In each view, select the Data Tips Min (or Max) option from the status bar.
2. Now hover the cursor over the slip center of the Global Minimum surface, in each
view. Compare the center coordinates, and radius displayed in the popup data tip.
3. You should find that the slip circles are in fact exactly the same surface.
This is an important tip to remember: when you are comparing different files, or different
analysis methods – you cannot assume that the critical slip surfaces are the same surface. If
they appear to be the same surface, you should always check the actual slip surface
coordinates, if you plan on making detailed comparisons of analysis results between
different files, etc.
Now let’s compare the pore pressures along the Global Minimum slip surface for each file.
This way we can directly compare the pore pressures calculated from the pore pressure grid
7 - 27
(Tutorial 5) and the groundwater analysis (Tutorial 7).

A quick shortcut for graphing data for a slip surface, is to right click on the slip surface
(NOTE: you can click on the surface, or on the radial lines joining the slip center to the
endpoints of the slip surface).
In each view:
1. Right click on the Global Minimum, and select Add Query and Graph from the popup
menu.
2. In the Graph Slice Data dialog, select Pore Pressure from the Primary Data list, and
select the Create Plot button.
3. Now minimize the model views of each file, and select the Tile Vertically option. You
should see the following graphs.
Tutorial 5 comparison with Tutorial 7 (pore pressure).

NOTE:
• For the water pressure grid file (Tutorial 5), pore pressures above the water table
are zero.
• However, for the finite element groundwater file, NEGATIVE pore pressures are
calculated, above the water table. This represents the MATRIC SUCTION pressures,
calculated in the unsaturated zone above the water table.
The influence of MATRIC SUCTION on the safety factor, is discussed in the last part of this
tutorial. To better compare the positive pore pressures calculated below the water table, do
the following:
• For each graph, right click in the view, select Chart Properties from the popup menu,
and enter a Minimum Vertical Axis value = 0. Select OK.
Your view should now appear as follows:
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Tutorial 5 comparison with Tutorial 7 (pore pressure).

You can now see that the (positive) pore pressures calculated for the Global Minimum slip
surface, for the two files, are very nearly the same.
The slight differences in the two graphs are accounted for by the different methods used to
determine the pore pressure distribution within the slope.
• For the water pressure grid file, pore pressures were interpolated from the grid
values.
• For the groundwater analysis file, pore pressures are interpolated from the
pressure contours and the finite element mesh.
Unsaturated Shear Strength

To conclude this tutorial, we will demonstrate one more feature of Slide, which is available
when a finite element groundwater analysis has been performed. That is, the contribution
of matric suction to the stability of a slope, by specifying an unsaturated shear strength
angle.
As shown in this tutorial, the Slide groundwater analysis can result in NEGATIVE pore
pressures in the unsaturated zone above the water table. These negative pressures are
actually the matric suction pressures in the unsaturated zone.
It is known that matric suction can contribute to the shear strength of a slope. By specifying
an Unsaturated Shear Strength Angle for a material, the shear strength of the material in
the unsaturated zone, will be INCREASED by the amount:
ψ tan φb
where: ψ = matric suction (POSITIVE value), and φb = unsaturated shear strength angle.
(NOTE: by convention, the term matric “suction” implies the POSITIVE, or absolute value of
the negative pore pressures calculated in the unsaturated zone).
7 - 29
To demonstrate this, try the following:

2. Select the “Seepage” scenario and ensure you are in the “Slope Stability” tab.
3. Select Define Material Properties. Notice that, for a groundwater analysis file in
Slide, you may specify an Unsaturated Shear Strength Angle.
4. By default, the Unsaturated Shear Strength Angle = 0. This means that matric
suction in the unsaturated zone, WILL NOT have any effect on the shear strength or
safety factor.
5. However, if you enter a non-zero value for Unsaturated Shear Strength, then slip
surfaces which pass through a material in the unsaturated zone, will have
INCREASED shear strength, and safety factor.
6. For example, enter an Unsaturated Shear Strength Angle = 15 degrees. Select OK.
7. Now re-run the slope stability analysis for this scenario.

8. Examine the Global Minimum slip surface. It should now have a safety factor = 1.560
(Bishop analysis).
9. Specifying an Unsaturated Shear Strength Angle, has increased the Global Minimum
safety factor.
The Unsaturated Shear Strength Angle is usually not a well known quantity. To obtain an
appreciation of its importance, a parametric study can be carried out, in which the
Unsaturated Shear Strength angle is varied between 0 and the Friction Angle of the
material. This can easily be done using the Sensitivity Analysis option in Slide. See the Slide
Help system or Tutorial 09 for more information about Sensitivity Analysis.
Unsaturated shear strength can, in some cases, be a critical factor in a slope stability
analysis. It has been observed, in some cases, that slopes which are near critical equilibrium
(safety factor just over 1), would not be stable without including the effect of matric suction
on the shear strength.
That concludes this introduction to finite element groundwater analysis using Slide. Further
groundwater examples are discussed in the next section.
7 - 30
More Groundwater Examples
Additional examples of groundwater modeling and analysis using Slide, can be found in the
Slide Groundwater Verification Manual.
The Slide Groundwater Verification Manual is available as a PDF document in the
Verification section of the Slide Help system.
The groundwater verification files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File >
Recent Folders > Examples Folder from the Slide main menu, and opening the Groundwater
Verification folder.
These examples demonstrate more advanced features of the Slide groundwater analysis,
including material permeability functions, infiltration boundary conditions, mapped
meshing, and other features.
Two material model, with different permeabilities.
7 - 31
Tutorial 8 Probabilistic Analysis
• Random variables: cohesion, phi, unit weight
• Probability of failure
• Correlation coefficients
• Global Minimum probabilistic analysis
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 8: Probabilistic Analysis
Introduction
This tutorial will familiarize the user with the basic probabilistic analysis capabilities of Slide.
It will demonstrate how quickly and easily a probabilistic slope stability analysis can be
performed with Slide.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 08 Probabilistic
Analysis.slmd data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File
Model
This tutorial will be based on the same model used for Tutorial 1, so let’s first read in the
Tutorial 1 file.
Select File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu, and open the
Tutorial 01 Quick Start.slmd file.
Project Settings
To carry out a Probabilistic Analysis with Slide, the first thing that must be done, is to select
the Probabilistic Analysis option in the Project Settings dialog.
In the Project Settings dialog, select the Statistics page, and select the Probabilistic Analysis
checkbox.
Notice the Spatial Variability Analysis checkbox. For more information on running a spatially
variable analysis, see Tutorials 33 and 34.
Select OK.
8-2
Global Minimum Analysis

Note that we are using the default Probabilistic Analysis options:
• Sampling Method = Latin Hypercube
• Number of Samples = 1000
• Analysis Type = Global Minimum
When the Analysis Type = Global Minimum, this means that the Probabilistic Analysis is
carried out on the Global Minimum slip surface located by the regular (deterministic) slope
stability analysis.
The safety factor will be re-computed N times (where N = Number of Samples) for the
Global Minimum slip surface, using a different set of randomly generated input variables for
each analysis.
Notice that a Statistics menu is now available, which allows you to define almost any model
input parameter as a random variable.
Defining Random Variables

In order to carry out a Probabilistic Analysis, at least one of your model input parameters
must be defined as a Random Variable. Random variables are defined using the options in
the Statistics menu.
For this tutorial, we will define the following material properties as Random Variables:
• Cohesion
• Friction Angle
• Unit Weight
This is easily done with the Material Statistics dialog.
Select: Statistics → Materials
You will see the Material Statistics dialog. Notice that “Soil 1” is selected on the left side.
We are now going to define Random Variables for this material. This can be done with
either the Add or the Edit options, in the Material Statistics dialog. Let’s use the Add option.
Select the Add button in the Material Statistics dialog.
When using the Add option, you will see a series of three dialogs, in a “wizard” format,
which allow you to quickly select the material properties that you wish to define as Random
Variables.
The first dialog allows you to select the material properties that you would like to define as
Random Variables.
8-3
Select the checkboxes for Cohesion, Phi and Unit Weight. Select the Next button. The
second dialog allows you to select a Statistical Distribution for the Random Variables. We
will be using the default (Normal Distribution), so just select the Finish button.
You will be returned to the Material Statistics dialog, which should now appear as follows:
In the Material Statistics dialog, the material properties which you selected as Random
Variables, now appear in the dialog in a spreadsheet format. This allows you to easily define
the statistical distribution for each random variable.
In order to complete the process of defining the Random Variables, we must enter:
• Standard Deviation
• Minimum and Maximum values
for each variable, in order to define the statistical distribution of each random variable.
Enter the values of Standard Deviation, Relative Minimum and Relative Maximum for each
variable, as shown below. When you are finished, select OK.
8-4
NOTE:
• The Minimum and Maximum values are specified as RELATIVE values (i.e. distances
from the MEAN value), rather than as absolute values, because this simplifies data
input.
• For a NORMAL distribution, 99.7 % of all samples should fall within 3 standard
deviations of the mean value. Therefore it is recommended that the Relative
Minimum and Relative Maximum values are equal to at least 3 times the standard
deviation, to ensure that a complete (non-truncated) NORMAL distribution is
defined.
• For more information about Statistical Distributions, please see the Probabilistic
Analysis section of the Slide Help system.
That’s all we need to do. We have defined 3 Random Variables (cohesion, friction angle and
unit weight) with Normal distributions.
We can now run the Probabilistic Analysis.
Compute
First, let’s save the file with a new file name: Tutorial 08.slmd.
Use the Save As dialog to save the file. Now select Compute.
NOTE:
• When you run a Probabilistic Analysis with Slide, the regular (deterministic) analysis
is always computed first.
• The Probabilistic Analysis automatically follows. The progress of the analysis is
indicated in the Compute dialog.
8-5
Interpret
The primary results of the probabilistic analysis, are displayed beside the slip center of the
deterministic global minimum slip surface. Remember that when the Probabilistic Analysis
Type = Global Minimum, the Probabilistic Analysis is only carried out on this surface.
This includes the following:
• FS (mean) – the mean safety factor
• PF – the probability of failure
• RI – the Reliability Index
8-6
Summary of results after probabilistic analysis.

These results are discussed below.
Deterministic Safety Factor

The Deterministic Safety Factor, FS (deterministic), is the safety factor calculated for the
Global Minimum slip surface, from the regular (non-probabilistic) slope stability analysis.
This is the same safety factor that you would see if you were only running a regular
(deterministic) analysis, and were NOT running a Probabilistic Analysis.
The Deterministic Safety Factor is the value of safety factor when all input parameters are
exactly equal to their mean values.
Mean Safety Factor

The Mean Safety Factor is the mean (average) safety factor, obtained from the Probabilistic
Analysis. It is simply the average safety factor, of all of the safety factors calculated for the
Global Minimum slip surface.
In general, the Mean Safety Factor should be close to the value of the deterministic safety
factor, FS (deterministic). For a sufficiently large number of samples, the two values should
be nearly equal.
8-7
Probability of Failure
The Probability of Failure is simply equal to the number of analyses with safety factor less
than 1, divided by the total Number of Samples.
numfailed
PF = ×100% Eqn. 1
numsamples
For this example, PF = 10.2 %, which means that 102 out of 1000 samples produced a safety
factor less than 1.
Reliability Index
The Reliability Index is another commonly used measure of slope stability, after a
probabilistic analysis.
The Reliability Index is an indication of the number of standard deviations which separate
the Mean Safety Factor from the critical safety factor ( = 1).
The Reliability Index can be calculated assuming either a Normal or Lognormal distribution
of the safety factor results. The actual best fit distribution is listed in the Info Viewer, and
indicates which value of RI is more appropriate for the data.
RI (Normal)
If it is assumed that the safety factors are Normally distributed, then Equation 2 is used to
calculate the Reliability Index.
µFS −1
β= Eqn. 2
σ FS
where:
β = reliability index
µ F S = mean safety factor
σ FS
= standard deviation of safety factor
A Reliability Index of at least 3 is usually recommended, as a minimal assurance of a safe

slope design. For this example, RI = 1.2, which indicates an unsatisfactory level of safety for
the slope.
8-8
RI (Lognormal)
If it is assumed that the safety factors are best fit by a Lognormal distribution, then
Equation 3 is used to calculate the Reliability Index.
 µ 
ln  
 1+V 2 
β LN = Eqn. 3
ln(1 + V 2 )
where µ = the mean safety factor, and V = coefficient of variation of the safety factor ( = σ /
µ ).
For more information about the Reliability Index, see the Slide Help system.
Histogram Plots
Histogram plots allow you to view:
• The distribution of samples generated for the input data random variable(s).
• The distribution of safety factors calculated by the probabilistic analysis.
To generate a Histogram plot, select the Histogram Plot option from the toolbar or the
Statistics menu.
Select: Statistics → Histogram Plot
You will see the Histogram Plot dialog.
Let’s first view a histogram of Safety Factor. Set the Data to Plot = Factor of Safety – Bishop
Simplified. Select the Highlight Data checkbox. As the highlight criterion, select “Factor of
Safety – Bishop Simplified < 1”. Select the Plot button, and the Histogram will be generated.
8-9
Histogram of Safety Factor.

As you can see on the histogram, the highlighted data (red bars) shows the analyses which
resulted in a safety factor less than 1.
• This graphically illustrates the Probability of Failure, which is equal to the area of
the histogram which is highlighted (FS < 1), divided by the total area of the
histogram.
• The statistics of the highlighted data are listed on the plot. In this case, it is
indicated that 103 / 1000 points, have a safety factor less than 1. This equals 10.3%,
which is the PROBABILITY OF FAILURE (for the Bishop analysis method).
In general, the Highlight data option allows you to highlight any user-defined subset of data
on a histogram (or scatter plot), and obtain the statistics of the highlighted (selected) data
subset.
You can display the Best Fit distribution for the safety factor data, by right-clicking on the
plot, and selecting Best Fit Distribution from the popup menu. The Best Fit Distribution will
be displayed on the Histogram. In this case, the best fit is a Gamma Distribution, as listed at
the bottom of the plot.
8 - 10
Let’s create a plot of the Cohesion random variable. Right-click on the plot and select
Change Plot Data. Set the Data to Plot = soil 1 : Cohesion. Select Done.
Histogram Plot of Cohesion.

This plot shows the actual random samples which were generated by the Latin Hypercube
sampling of the statistical distribution which you defined for the Cohesion random variable.
Notice that the data with Bishop Safety Factor < 1 is still highlighted on the plot.
Note the following information at the bottom of the plot:
• The SAMPLED statistics, are the statistics of the raw data generated by the Monte
Carlo sampling of the input distribution.
• The INPUT statistics, are the parameters of the input distribution which you defined
for the random variable, in the Material Statistics dialog.
In general, the SAMPLED statistics and the INPUT statistics will not be exactly equal.
However, as the Number of Samples increases, the SAMPLED statistics should approach the
values of the INPUT parameters.
The distribution defined by the INPUT parameters is plotted on the Histogram. The display
of this curve can be turned on or off, by right-clicking on the plot, and toggling the Input
Distribution option.
Now right-click on the plot again, and select Change Plot Data. Change the Data to Plot to
soil 1 : Phi. Select Done.
Notice the data with Bishop Safety Factor < 1, highlighted on the plot. With respect to the
Friction Angle random variable, it is clear that failure corresponds to the lowest friction
angles which were generated by the random sampling.
8 - 11
Cumulative Plots
To generate a Cumulative plot, select the Cumulative Plot option from the toolbar or the
Statistics menu.
Select: Statistics → Cumulative Plot
You will see the Cumulative Plot dialog.
Select the Data to Plot = Factor of Safety – Bishop Simplified. Select the Plot button.
Cumulative Plot of Safety Factor.

A Cumulative distribution plot represents the cumulative probability that the value of a
random variable will be LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO a given value.
When we are viewing a Cumulative Plot of Safety Factor, the Cumulative Probability at
Safety Factor = 1, is equal to the PROBABILITY OF FAILURE.
Let’s verify this as follows.
Sampler Option
The Sampler Option on a Cumulative Plot allows you to easily determine the coordinates at
any point along the Cumulative distribution curve.
1. Right-click on the Cumulative Plot, and select the Sampler > Show Sampler option.
8 - 12
2. You will see a dotted cross-hair line on the plot. This is the “Sampler”, and allows
you to graphically obtain the coordinates of any point on the curve.
3. As you move the mouse over the cumulative curve, you will see that the Sampler
follows the mouse, and continuously displays the coordinates of points on the
Cumulative plot curve.
4. If you click the mouse at the point Factor of Safety = 1, notice that the Cumulative
Probability = 0.103, as shown in the figure below. This means that the Probability of
Failure (Bishop analysis method) = 10.3%, which is the value we noted earlier in this
tutorial.
Sampler display on cumulative plot
8 - 13
Scatter Plots
Scatter Plots allow you to plot any two random variables against each other, on the same
plot. This allows you to analyze the relationships between variables.
Select the Scatter Plot option from the toolbar or the Statistics menu.
Select: Statistics → Scatter Plot
You will see the Scatter Plot dialog. Enter the following data.
1. Set the Horizontal Axis = soil 1 : Phi.
2. Set the Vertical Axis = Factor of Safety – Bishop.
3. Select Highlight Data, and select “Factor of Safety – Bishop Simplified < 1”.
4. Select Plot.
You should see the following plot.
Scatter Plot – Friction Angle versus Safety Factor.

There is a well-defined relationship between Friction Angle and Safety Factor. Notice the
parameters listed at the bottom of the plot.
8 - 14
• The Correlation Coefficient indicates the degree of correlation between the two
variables plotted. A Correlation Coefficient close to 1 (or -1) indicates a high degree
of correlation. A Correlation Coefficient close to zero, indicates little or no
correlation.
• The parameters Alpha and Beta, are the slope and y-intercept, respectively, of the
best fit (linear) curve, to the data. This line can be seen on the plot. Its display can
be toggled on or off, by right-clicking on the plot and selecting the Regression Line
option.
Also notice the highlighted data on the plot. All data points with a Safety Factor less than 1,
are displayed on the Scatter Plot as an orange square, rather than a blue triangle.
Now let’s plot Phi versus Cohesion on the Scatter Plot.
Right-click on the plot and select Change Plot Data. On the Vertical Axis, select soil 1 :
Cohesion. Select Done. The plot should look as follows:
Scatter Plot – Friction Angle versus Cohesion.

This plot indicates that there is no correlation between the sampled values of Cohesion and
Friction Angle. (The Correlation Coefficient, listed at the bottom of the plot, is a small
number close to zero).
In reality, the Cohesion and Friction Angle of Mohr-Coulomb materials are generally
correlated, such that materials with low Cohesion often have high Friction Angles, and vice
versa.
In Slide, the user can define a correlation coefficient for Cohesion and Friction Angle, so that
when the samples are generated, Cohesion and Friction Angle will be correlated. This is
discussed at the end of this tutorial.
8 - 15
Convergence Plots
A Convergence Plot is useful for determining whether or not your Probabilistic Analysis is
converging to a final answer, or whether more samples are required.
Select the Convergence Plot option from the toolbar or the Statistics menu.
Select: Statistics → Convergence Plot
You will see the Convergence Plot dialog. Select Probability of Failure. Select Plot.
You should see the following plot.
Convergence plot – Probability of Failure.

A convergence plot should indicate that the final results of the Probabilistic Analysis, are
converging to stable, final values (i.e. Probability of Failure, Mean Safety Factor etc.)
If the convergence plot indicates that you have not achieved a stable, final result, then you
should increase the Number of Samples, and re-run the analysis.
Right-click on the plot and select the Final Value option from the popup menu. A horizontal
line will appear on the plot, which represents the final value (in this case, Probability of
Failure = 10.3%), which was calculated for the analysis.
For this model, it appears that the Probability of Failure has achieved a constant final value.
To verify this, increase the Number of Samples (e.g. 2000), and re-run the analysis. This is
left as an optional exercise.
8 - 16
The user is encouraged to experiment with the Probabilistic Analysis modeling and data
interpretation features in Slide. Try the following exercises.
Correlation Coefficient (C and Phi)

Earlier in this tutorial, we viewed a Scatter Plot of Cohesion versus Friction Angle.
Because the random sampling of these two variables, was performed entirely
independently, there was no correlation between the two variables.
In reality, the Cohesion and Friction Angle of Mohr-Coulomb materials are generally
correlated, such that materials with low Cohesion tend to have high Friction Angles, and
vice versa.
In Slide, you can easily define a correlation coefficient for Cohesion and Friction Angle, so
that when the samples are generated, Cohesion and Friction Angle will be correlated.
This can be demonstrated as follows:
1. In the Slide Model program, select the Material Statistics option in the Statistics
menu.
2. In the Material Statistics dialog, select the Correlation option. This will display a
dialog, which allows you to define a correlation coefficient between cohesion and
friction angle (this is only applicable for materials which use the Mohr-Coulomb
strength type).
3. In the correlation dialog, select the Apply checkbox for “soil 1”. We will use the
default correlation coefficient of –0.5. Select OK in the Correlation dialog. Select OK
in the Material Statistics dialog.
4. Re-compute the analysis.
5. In the Slide Interpret program, create a Scatter Plot of Cohesion versus Friction
Angle. You should see the following.
Cohesion vs. Phi (Correlation = – 0.5)
8 - 17
As you can now see, Cohesion and Friction Angle are no longer independent of each other,
but are loosely correlated. NOTE:
• The actual correlation coefficient generated by the sampling, is listed at the bottom
of the plot. It is not exactly equal to – 0.5, because of the relatively small number of
samples (1000).
• A NEGATIVE correlation coefficient simply means that when one variable increases,
the other is likely to decrease, and vice versa.
Now try the following:
1. Re-run the analysis using correlation coefficients of – 0.6 , – 0.7, – 0.8 , – 0.9, – 1.0.
View a scatter plot of Cohesion versus Friction Angle, after each run.
2. You will see that the two variables will be increasingly correlated. When the
correlation coefficient = – 1.0, the Scatter Plot will result in a straight line.
Cohesion vs. Phi (Correlation = – 0.9)

In general, it is recommended that a correlation coefficient is defined between Cohesion
and Friction Angle, for a Mohr-Coulomb material. This will generate values of Cohesion and
Friction Angle, which are more likely to occur in the field.
Finally, it is interesting to note that the Probability of Failure, for this model, decreases
significantly, as the correlation between cohesion and friction angle increases (i.e. closer to
–1).
This implies that the use of a correlation coefficient, and the generation of more realistic
combinations of Cohesion and Phi, tends to decrease the calculated probability of failure,
for this model.
Sampling Method
The default method of Random Sampling in Slide is known as Latin Hypercube Sampling.
Another sampling method is available in Slide – the Monte Carlo method.
8 - 18
For a given number of samples, Latin Hypercube sampling results in a smoother, more
uniform sampling of the probability density functions which you have defined for your
random variables, compared to the Monte Carlo method.
To illustrate this, do the following:
1. In the Slide Model program, select Project Settings > Statistics, and set the Sampling
Method to Monte Carlo.
3. View the results in Interpret, and compare with the previous (Latin Hypercube)
results. In particular, plot histograms of your input random variables (Cohesion, Phi,
Unit Weight).
4. Notice that the input data distributions which you defined for your input random
variables, are much more smoothly sampled by Latin Hypercube sampling,
compared to Monte Carlo sampling.
Comparison of Monte Carlo sampling (left) and Latin Hypercube sampling (right) – Cohesion
random variable – 1000 samples.
As you can see in the above figure, for 1000 samples, the Latin Hypercube sampling is much
smoother than the Monte Carlo sampling.
This is because the Latin Hypercube method is based upon "stratified" sampling, with
random selection within each stratum. Typically, an analysis using 1000 samples obtained
by the Latin Hypercube technique will produce comparable results to an analysis of 5000
samples using the Monte Carlo method.
In general, the Latin Hypercube method allows you to achieve similar results to the Monte
Carlo method, with a significantly smaller number of samples.
Random Number Generation

The sampling of the statistical distributions of your input data random variables, is achieved
by the generation of random numbers. You may wonder why the results in this tutorial are
8 - 19
reproducible, if they are based on random numbers?

The reason for this, is because we have been using the Pseudo-Random option, in Project
Settings. Pseudo-random analysis means that the same sequence of random numbers is
always generated, because the same “seed” value is used. This allows you to obtain
reproducible results for a Probabilistic Analysis.
Try the following:
1. Select Project Settings > Random Numbers, and select the Random option (instead
of Pseudo-Random).

3. You will notice that each time you re-compute, the probabilistic analysis results will
be different. This is because a different “seed” value is used each time. This will
give a different sequence of random numbers, and therefore a different sampling
of your random variables, each time you re-run the analysis.
8 - 20
Tutorial 9 Sensitivity Analysis
• Cohesion, phi, unit weight
• Seismic Sensitivity
• Sampler option
• Sensitivity vs. Probabilistic Analysis
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 9: Sensitivity Analysis
Introduction
Sensitivity analysis is extremely easy to perform with Slide. Any input parameter which can
be defined as a random variable (for a Probabilistic Analysis) can also be defined as a
variable for a Sensitivity Analysis.
A Sensitivity Analysis simply means the following:
1. For one or more selected input parameters, the user specifies a Minimum and a
Maximum value.
2. Each parameter is then varied in uniform increments, between the Minimum and
Maximum values, and the safety factor of the Global Minimum slip surface is
calculated at each value. NOTE: while a parameter is being varied, ALL OTHER input
parameters are held constant, at their MEAN values.
3. This results in a plot of safety factor versus the input parameter(s), and allows you
to determine the “sensitivity” of the safety factor, to changes in the input
parameter(s).
4. A steeply changing curve on a Sensitivity Plot, indicates that the safety factor is
sensitive to the value of the parameter.
5. A relatively “flat” curve indicates that the safety factor is not sensitive to the value
of the parameter.
A sensitivity analysis indicates which input parameters may be critical to the assessment of
slope stability, and which input parameters are less important.
A Sensitivity Plot can be used to determine the value of a parameter which corresponds to a
specified Factor of Safety (e.g. Factor of Safety = 1).
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 09 Sensitivity
Analysis.slmd data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File
Model
We will start with the same example discussed in the previous tutorial.
Tutorial 08 Probabilistic Analysis.slmd file.
Project Settings
To enable a Sensitivity Analysis with Slide, you must first select the Sensitivity Analysis
checkbox in Project Settings.
9-2
In the Project Settings dialog, select the Statistics page, and select the Sensitivity Analysis
checkbox. Clear the Probabilistic Analysis checkbox. Select OK.
NOTE:
• You can perform BOTH a Sensitivity Analysis and a Probabilistic Analysis, at the
same time, using the same variables. This is discussed at the end of this tutorial.
However, for this example, we will just run the Sensitivity Analysis only.
Defining Sensitivity Variables

The procedure for selecting and defining variables for a Sensitivity Analysis, is exactly the
same as the procedure described in the previous tutorial, for a Probabilistic Analysis.
However, note that:
• For a Sensitivity Analysis, ONLY a Minimum and Maximum value is required for each
variable.
• A Statistical Distribution and Standard Deviation are NOT applicable for Sensitivity
Analysis.
Let’s examine the Material Statistics dialog.
Select: Statistics → Materials
9-3
Notice that the 3 variables which we defined previously for the Probabilistic Analysis
(Tutorial 08), are still displayed in the Material Statistics dialog.
Because we are only considering a Sensitivity Analysis, the statistical distribution and
standard deviation are no longer displayed in the dialog. Only the mean, minimum and
maximum values are necessary for the Sensitivity Analysis.
We will not make any changes to this data, so select OK or Cancel in the dialog.
Compute
Before we run the analysis, first save the file with a new file name: Tutorial 09.sli.
NOTE:
• When you run a Sensitivity Analysis with Slide, the regular (deterministic) analysis is
always computed first. This is necessary in order to determine the Global Minimum
slip surface. Remember that the Sensitivity Analysis is performed on the Global
Minimum slip surface.
• The Sensitivity Analysis automatically follows. The progress of the analysis is
indicated in the Compute dialog. A Sensitivity Analysis usually only takes a very
small amount of time, so you may not even notice the calculation in the Compute
dialog.
9-4
Interpret
The results of the Sensitivity Analysis are viewed by selecting the Sensitivity Plot option,
from the toolbar or the Statistics menu.
Select: Statistics → Sensitivity Plot

Select the checkboxes for all 3 variables. TIP: you can use the Select All button to
automatically select all checkboxes. Select the Plot button.
You should see the following sensitivity plot.
Sensitivity Plot of 3 variables.

9-5
As you can see from the plot, the safety factor is most sensitive to the Friction Angle
(steepest curve), and least sensitive to the Unit Weight (curve is almost flat).
Note the following about the Sensitivity Plot:
1. When multiple variables are plotted, the horizontal axis of the plot is in terms of
Percent of Range.
2. Percent of Range = 0 represents the Minimum value of each variable, and Percent
of Range = 100 represents the Maximum value of each variable.
3. Notice that all 3 curves intersect at Percent of Range = 50%. Percent of Range = 50%
ALWAYS represents the MEAN value of each variable.
If you wish to see the actual value of a variable on the horizontal axis, then you must only
plot ONE Sensitivity variable at a time (only select ONE checkbox in the Sensitivity Plot
dialog). Let’s do that now.
1. Right-click on the plot and select Change Plot Data from the popup menu.
2. Clear the checkboxes for Cohesion and Unit Weight, so that only Phi is selected.
Select Done.
The Sensitivity Plot now only displays the curve for Friction Angle. Notice that the Horizontal
Axis is now in terms of the actual unit of the variable (degrees).
9-6
Sampler
The Sampler option allows you to easily obtain the coordinates of any point on a Sensitivity
Plot curve.
1. Right-click on the plot and select the Sampler option.
2. Notice that a dotted cross-hair line is now displayed on the plot. This is the Sampler
and allows you to graphically obtain the coordinates along the curve.
3. As you move the mouse the Sampler will continuously display the coordinates of
the current location on the curve.
4. Use the Sampler to locate the point corresponding to Factor of Safety = 1 on the
sensitivity curve. The Friction Angle = 26.2 degrees. This is the critical Friction Angle,
if all other variables are assumed to be equal to their mean values.
Sampler display of friction angle for Factor of Safety = 1
9-7
Seismic Coefficient Sensitivity

Let’s add one more Sensitivity Analysis variable, and re-run the analysis. Return to the Slide
Model program, and select the Seismic Load option from the Statistics menu.
Select: Statistics → Seismic Load
1. In the dialog, select the checkbox for Horizontal Seismic Coefficient.
2. Enter a Mean Value = 0.1. Also enter Relative Minimum = 0.1 and Relative
Maximum = 0.1. Select OK.
3. When the Sensitivity Analysis is run, the Horizontal Seismic Coefficient will be varied
between 0 and 0.2. Select Compute to run the analysis, and then view the results in
Interpret.
4. Create a Sensitivity Plot (only select the checkbox for Horizontal Seismic
Coefficient).
5. Use the Sampler to determine the critical seismic coefficient. For a safety factor = 1
the horizontal seismic coefficient is approximately 0.067, as shown in the next
figure.
9-8
Sensitivity Plot of Horizontal Seismic Coefficient.
9-9
Sensitivity and Probabilistic Analysis

A Sensitivity Analysis should not be confused with a Probabilistic Analysis. Remember:
• A Sensitivity Analysis simply involves the variation of individual variables between
minimum and maximum values. A Sensitivity Analysis is performed on ONLY ONE
VARIABLE AT A TIME.
• A Probabilistic Analysis involves the statistical sampling of distributions that you
have defined for your random variables. A Probabilistic Analysis uses sampled
values of ALL random variables, for each iteration of the Probabilistic Analysis.
However, you can perform BOTH a Sensitivity Analysis, AND a Probabilistic Analysis, at the
same time, by selecting both checkboxes in Project Settings.
If you do this, note the following:

• The Sensitivity analysis will use the same variables that you have selected for the
Probabilistic Analysis.
• The Sensitivity Analysis will only use the Minimum and Maximum values that you
have defined for each variable. It will ignore the statistical distributions and
standard deviations that you have entered to define the random variables for the
This is convenient, because if you have already performed a Probabilistic Analysis on a
model, then you can also perform a Sensitivity Analysis, using all of the same variables,
simply by selecting the Sensitivity Analysis checkbox in Project Settings.
9 - 10
Tutorial 10 Water Table Statistics
• Sensitivity analysis
• Probabilistic analysis
• Mean, max, min water tables
• Tension crack statistics
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 10: Water Table Statistics
Introduction
In Slide it is very easy to account for a variable water table location, in either a Sensitivity or
1. The Minimum and Maximum locations of the Water Table are specified graphically,
by drawing the location of the limiting boundaries on the model.
2. A single random variable (a Normalized Elevation ranging between 0 and 1), is then
used to generate Water Table elevations between the Minimum and Maximum
boundaries, according to the statistical parameters entered in the Water Table
Statistics dialog.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 10 Water Table
Statistics.slmd data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File
Sensitivity Analysis
First, we will demonstrate a simple Sensitivity Analysis, using a Water Table. We will start
with the Tutorial 01 file.
Tutorial 01 Quick Start.slmd file.
Project Settings
To enable a Sensitivity Analysis with Slide, you must first select the Sensitivity Analysis
In the Project Settings dialog, select the Statistics page, and select the Sensitivity Analysis
checkbox. Select OK.
10 - 2
Water Table Boundaries

In order to define the upper and lower limits of a Water Table for the Sensitivity Analysis,
we must define the Maximum and Minimum Water Table boundaries.
Select: Statistics → Water Table → Draw Max Water Table
We will create the Maximum Water Table, by snapping to the vertices along the slope.
1. First, right-click the mouse and make sure the Snap option is enabled.
2. Now left click the mouse, and snap the Maximum Water Table to the slope vertices
at (0 , 30) , (50 , 30) , (80 , 50) and (130 , 50).
3. Right-click and select Done from the popup menu, and the boundary will be added
to the model.
Now let’s create the Minimum Water Table boundary.
Select: Statistics → Water Table → Draw Min Water Table
1. Snap the Minimum Water Table, to the slope vertices at (0 , 30) and (50 , 30).
2. Now enter the point (130 , 30) in the prompt line. (Or alternatively, right-click the
mouse and make sure the Ortho Snap option is enabled. Hover the mouse near the
point (130 , 30) at the right edge of the model. When the Ortho Snap icon appears,
click the mouse and you will snap exactly to the point (130, 30) on the boundary.)
3. Right-click and select Done from the popup menu.
4. You will see the Assign Water Table dialog. Select OK to automatically assign the
Water Table to all slope materials (only one material is actually used in this model).
You have now defined the Maximum and Minimum Water Table boundaries. When BOTH
boundaries have been defined, you will notice that a THIRD boundary, the MEAN Water
Table, is automatically calculated, and appears on the model.
Your screen should appear as follows.
Maximum, Minimum and Mean Water Table boundaries.

10 - 3
Mean Water Table

So, how has the Mean Water Table been calculated? First, let’s look at the Water Table
Statistics dialog.
Select: Statistics → Water Table → Statistical Properties
NOTE: a convenient shortcut to access this dialog, is to right-click the mouse on any of the
three Water Table boundaries – Maximum, Mean or Minimum – and select Statistical
Properties from the popup menu.
Normalized Mean
In the Water Table Statistics dialog, you will notice the Normalized Mean parameter.
The definition of the Normalized Mean water table location, is illustrated in the following
figure. The Normalized Mean is simply the relative elevation of the Mean Water Table,
along any vertical line between the Minimum and Maximum water table boundaries.
Definition of Normalized Mean water table location.

The default Normalized Mean ( = 0.5 ) produces a Mean Water Table which is exactly
midway between the Minimum and Maximum boundaries, at all locations.
The Normalized Mean must have a value between 0 and 1.
10 - 4
Compute
Before we run the analysis, it is important to note the following:
• The MEAN Water Table will be used as the Water Table in the Deterministic
Analysis.
• The Sensitivity Analysis is then performed on the Global Minimum slip surface
located by the Deterministic Analysis.
• The Sensitivity Analysis is carried out by varying the Water Table location between
the Minimum and Maximum Water Table boundaries, in 50 equal increments, and
calculating the safety factor of the Global Minimum slip surface, for each location of
the Water Table.
First save the file with a new file name: Tutorial 10.slim.

When the analysis is complete, view the results in Interpret.
10 - 5
Interpret
You should see the following results.
Analysis results using Mean Water Table.

Let’s view the Sensitivity Plot of the Water Table location.
Select: Statistics → Sensitivity Plot
Select the checkbox for “Sensitivity – Water Table Location”. Select the Plot button.
You should see the following Sensitivity Plot. NOTE:
• The Sensitivity Variable which represents the Water Table location (elevation), is a
Normalized Variable with a range of [ 0 , 1 ].
• ZERO represents the Minimum Water Table boundary.
• ONE represents the Maximum Water Table boundary.
• Intermediate values represent the relative elevation of the Water Table, along any
vertical line, between the Minimum and the Maximum boundaries.
10 - 6
Sensitivity Plot of Normalized Water Table elevation

As you would expect, the highest safety factor occurs when the Water Table location = 0
(Minimum Water Table), and the lowest safety occurs when the Water Table location = 1
(Maximum Water Table).
If you want to determine the Water Table elevation which corresponds to a Safety Factor =
1, you can do this as follows:
1. Right-click on the plot and select Sampler > Show Sampler.
2. A dotted cross-hair line will appear on the plot. This is the Sampler and allows you
to determine the coordinates of any point on the Sensitivity curve.
3. Move the Sampler until you locate the point on the curve where Factor of Safety =
1. This corresponds to a Normalized Water Table location equal to about 0.57.
4. This Water Table location (0.57) is just slightly above the Mean Water Table
Location ( = 0.5). This makes sense, because the Deterministic Safety Factor of the
Global Minimum slip surface, is only slightly above 1 (equal to 1.063). Therefore
only a slightly higher Water Table is necessary to reach critical equilibrium.
10 - 7
That concludes this simple demonstration of a Sensitivity Analysis using a Water Table.
Next, we will demonstrate a Probabilistic Analysis using the Water Table.
Probabilistic Analysis
The Normalized Water Table elevation, discussed in the first part of this tutorial (Sensitivity
Analysis), can also be treated as a true random variable.
That is, in addition to the Mean location, it may also be assigned a Statistical Distribution
and a Standard Deviation. Random samples are then generated, so that the variation of the
Water Table elevation between the Minimum and Maximum Water Table boundaries, is
modeled as a true random variable.
For this demonstration, we will read in a different file, the Tutorial 02 file. Select File >
Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu, and open the Tutorial 02
Materials and Loading.slmd file.
Notice that the file we have read in, already includes a Deterministic Water Table. We will
incorporate the existing Water Table into the Probabilistic Analysis.
Project Settings
To enable a Probabilistic Analysis with Slide, you must first select the Probabilistic Analysis
In the Project Settings dialog, select the Statistics page, and select the Probabilistic Analysis
checkbox. Also select the Sensitivity Analysis checkbox. Select OK.
10 - 8
Water Table Boundaries

Notice that the file we have read in, already includes a Deterministic Water Table. We can
incorporate the existing Water Table into the Probabilistic Analysis.
Select: Statistics → Water Table → Statistical Properties
TIP: you can also right-click on the Water Table and select Statistical Properties from the
popup menu.
In the Water Table Statistics dialog, the Use Deterministic Water Table As option allows
you to specify that the Deterministic Water Table is to be used as the Mean, Minimum or
Maximum Water Table boundary, in the Probabilistic Analysis.
By default, Use Deterministic Water Table = Mean. As indicated in the text tip in the dialog,
you must now:
• Draw the Maximum Water Table boundary
• The Minimum Water Table boundary will then be automatically calculated from the
Maximum and the Mean boundaries.
We will return to this dialog in a moment. For now, just select OK and we will define the
Maximum Water Table boundary.
Select: Statistics → Water Table → Draw Max Water Table
We will create the Maximum Water Table, by snapping to the vertices along the slope.
1. First, right-click the mouse and make sure the Snap option is enabled.
2. Now left click the mouse, and snap the Maximum Water Table to the slope vertices
at (5, 28) , (43 , 28) , (67 , 40) and (100 , 40).
3. Right-click and select Done from the popup menu.
4. You will see the Assign Water Table dialog. Select the checkboxes for the first two
materials and select OK to assign the Water Table to these materials.
Now observe the following:
10 - 9
• The Maximum Water Table which we have just drawn, is defined along the slope
surface.
• The original (deterministic) Water Table is now labeled as the Mean Water Table.
• The Minimum Water Table boundary has been automatically calculated.
Automatic Minimum Water Table

As you can see, once we have defined the first two boundaries (in this case, the Mean
Water Table and the Maximum Water Table), the THIRD Water Table boundary is
automatically calculated (in this case, the Minimum Water Table boundary). Your screen
should appear as follows.
Maximum, Minimum and Mean Water Table boundaries.

The Minimum Water Table boundary has been calculated, by assuming that the MEAN
Water Table is at a relative elevation equal to the Normalized Mean in the Water Table
Statistics dialog.
Because the Normalized Mean = 0.5 (the default), the Minimum Water Table has been
generated such that the Mean Water Table is exactly halfway between the Minimum and
Maximum Water Table boundaries, at all locations.
Water Table Statistics

The statistical distribution of the Water Table location is specified by defining a Normalized
Random Variable with a range of 0 to 1. ZERO represents the location of the Minimum
Water Table boundary, ONE represents the location of the Maximum Water Table
boundary. The distribution of the Random Variable between 0 and 1, specifies the
distribution of the Water Table elevation, between the Minimum and the Maximum Water
Table boundaries.
Let’s return to the Water Table Statistics dialog, to enter a Standard Deviation for the Water
Table random variable.
As a shortcut, you can right-click the mouse on any Water Table boundary (Minimum,
Maximum or Mean), and select Statistical Properties from the popup menu.
10 - 10
We will use the default Statistical Distribution = Normal. Enter a Normalized Standard
Deviation = 0.15. Select OK.
Normalized Standard Deviation

Because the Water Table location is specified using a normalized Random Variable with a
range of 0 to 1, the Standard Deviation must also be specified as a Normalized value.
Although the concept of a Normalized Standard Deviation may be a bit harder to grasp than
the concept of a Normalized Mean, it is very simple, just remember:
• The Statistical Distribution you are defining for the Water Table location, is really for
a Random Variable with a range of 0 to 1.
• Therefore, the Normalized Standard Deviation is defined accordingly.
For example: for a Normal Distribution, the Minimum and Maximum values should be
located at approximately 3 Standard Deviations away from the Mean, in order to define a
complete (non-truncated) Normal Distribution. For a Random Variable with a Minimum = 0 ,
Mean = 0.5 and Maximum = 1, a Standard Deviation of approximately ( 0.5 / 3 ) = 0.17, will
generate normally distributed samples of the Water Table location, between the Minimum
and Maximum Water Table boundaries.
In effect, we will be generating a distribution of Water Table elevations, between the

Minimum and Maximum Water Table boundaries, as illustrated in the next figure.
10 - 11
Normal Distribution of Water Table elevation.
Compute
First save the file with a new file name: Tutorial 10 prob.slim.
When the analysis is complete, view the results in Interpret.
10 - 12
Interpret
You should see the following figure.
Let’s view a histogram of the Water Table location random variable.
Select: Statistics → Histogram

In the Histogram Plot dialog, select “Water Table Location” as the Data to Plot. Select the
Plot button.
Histogram of Normalized Water Table elevation.

As you can see, the Water Table random variable has a possible range of 0 to 1. A Normal
distribution of samples has been generated, around the mean value of 0.5.
For each iteration of the Probabilistic Analysis, the value of the Water Table random
10 - 13
variable determines the elevation of the Water Table between the Minimum and Maximum
Water Table boundaries. In this way, the elevation of the Water Table is controlled by a
single random variable, which makes it very simple to model a probabilistic Water Table in
Slide.
Let’s view a Scatter Plot.
Select: Statistics → Scatter Plot

In the Scatter Plot dialog, select Water Table Location versus Factor of Safety – Bishop.
Select Plot.
Water Table elevation versus Safety Factor.

For this model, there is a direct, linear correlation between the Water Table elevation, and
the Factor of Safety of the Global Minimum slip surface.
Because there are no other random variables involved in this analysis, there is no scatter of
data in the above plot. If we included other random variables in the analysis, then you
would see scatter of the data points on this plot.
NOTE: if you generate a Sensitivity Plot of the Water Table elevation, it will be essentially
the same plot as the Scatter Plot shown above. Again, this is because our Probabilistic
Analysis only involved ONE random variable (the Water Table elevation).
10 - 14
Here are some additional features to consider, related to probabilistic Water Table analysis.
Exponential Distribution
For this analysis, we used a Normal Distribution of the Water Table elevation random
variable.
It should be noted that an Exponential Distribution can also be useful for modeling the
elevation of a Water Table. An Exponential Distribution could be used to simulate the
infrequent occurrence of high water tables, and introduce a time dimension to the
Exponential Distribution of Water Table elevation.

Re-run the analysis, using an Exponential Distribution for the Water Table random variable,
and a Normalized Mean = 0.3. NOTE that a Standard Deviation is not entered for an
Exponential Distribution, because by definition, the Standard Deviation = the Mean for an
Exponential Distribution.
Because the Normalized Mean = 0.3, you will notice that the Minimum Water Table which is
automatically generated, is now closer to the Mean Water Table, compared to the previous
analysis with Normalized Mean = 0.5.
10 - 15
Histogram of samples generated by Exponential Distribution.

The exponential distribution simply implies that most of the Water Tables which are
generated during the Probabilistic Analysis, will be towards the lower elevations, and
relatively few samples will be generated at the higher elevations.
10 - 16
Ponded Water / Drawdown Analysis

A variable height of Ponded Water above a slope, can also be modeled in a Sensitivity or
Probabilistic Water Table analysis with Slide.
If the Maximum Water Table boundary is located ABOVE the slope at any location, then
Ponded water will be automatically created, as necessary, between the Water Table and the
slope, in exactly the same manner, as for a regular (Deterministic) Water Table.
Variable ponded water elevation.

NOTE: to ensure that the (variable) ponded water surface remains horizontal, for all
possible water tables which are generated, the Minimum Water Table boundary should
include a horizontal segment which has the same lateral extents as the ponded water
surface of the Maximum Water Table.
Using a Sensitivity Analysis, a drawdown scenario could be quickly analyzed in this manner.
Also note: when you define probabilistic Water Table boundaries above a slope, Ponded
Water is NOT graphically displayed on the model. Ponded water will be automatically
created and taken into account during the analysis, whenever necessary, but it will not be
visible on the model.
10 - 17
Tension Crack Statistics

Finally, we will note that the statistical analysis of a variable Tension Crack boundary, is
carried out in exactly the same way as for a Water Table, as described in this tutorial.
In addition, the water level in the Tension Crack can also be specified as a random variable.
This is left as an optional exercise for the user to experiment with.
Variable tension crack elevation.

See the Slide Help system for more information about Water Table and Tension Crack
statistics.
10 - 18
Tutorial 11 Overall Slope Reliability
• Overall probability of failure / reliability index
• Critical probabilistic surface
• Critical deterministic surface
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 11: Overall Slope Reliability
Introduction
This tutorial will demonstrate the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis method in Slide.
In Slide, there are two types of Probabilistic Analysis which can be carried out.
1. Probabilistic Analysis Type = Global Minimum
2. Probabilistic Analysis Type = Overall Slope
With the Global Minimum method, the probabilistic analysis is carried out ONLY on the
deterministic Global Minimum slip surface. It is assumed that the Probability of Failure (or
the Reliability) of the deterministic Global Minimum slip surface, is representative of the
Probability of Failure for the slope.
This method is a commonly used approach to probabilistic slope stability, and was
demonstrated in Tutorial 08.
A Probabilistic Analysis with Spatial Variability can also be carried out – this is explained in
Tutorials 33 and 34.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 11 Overall Slope
Reliability.slmd data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting
File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu.
Overall Slope Method

The Overall Slope Probabilistic Analysis Type in Slide represents a different approach to the
probabilistic analysis of slope stability.
1. With the Overall Slope method in Slide, the ENTIRE SEARCH for a Global Minimum
slip surface is repeated N times (where N = Number of Samples). For each search
iteration, a new set of random variable samples is first loaded, and the search is
carried out.
2. A Global Minimum slip surface, FOR EACH SEARCH iteration, is then determined.
This will generally result in the location of SEVERAL different Global Minimum slip
surfaces (for example, 10 to 50 surfaces might typically be located), corresponding
to different values of the sampled input data random variables.
There are two important results which are derived from the Overall Slope Probabilistic
Analysis:
• The Overall Slope Reliability
• The Critical Probabilistic Surface
When running a Probabilistic Analysis with Spatial Variability, the Overall Slope option is
selected by default in order to account for the changing material parameters.
Overall Slope Reliability

The Overall Slope Reliability is based on the distribution of safety factors obtained from ALL
of the Global Minimum slip surfaces located by the analysis.
11 - 2
Because multiple Global Minimum slip surfaces will (in general) be located, the Overall
Slope Reliability is not associated with a specific slip surface, but instead, can be considered
truly representative of the entire slope. Hence the name “Overall Slope” analysis method.
From the Overall Slope analysis, we may calculate both:
• Probability of Failure
• Reliability Index
The definition of the Probability of Failure, for the Overall Slope method, is the same as for
the Global Minimum method. That is, the Probability of Failure is the number of analyses
which result in a safety factor less than 1, divided by the total Number of Samples. Similarly,
the Reliability Index is calculated using the same equations discussed in Tutorial 08
(Probabilistic Analysis tutorial).
Just remember that the PF and RI calculated for the Overall Slope, are not associated with a
specific slip surface, but include the safety factors of ALL Global Minimum slip surfaces from
the Overall Slope Probabilistic Analysis.
Critical Probabilistic Surface

Another result which follows from an Overall Slope Probabilistic Analysis, is the Critical
Probabilistic slip surface.
The Critical Probabilistic Surface is the individual slip surface which has the Minimum
Reliability Index (and also the maximum Probability of Failure).
It is important to note that the Critical Probabilistic Surface IS NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME
AS THE CRITICAL DETERMINISTIC SLIP SURFACE. In general, the Critical Probabilistic Surface
and the Critical Deterministic Surface (i.e. the deterministic Global Minimum slip surface),
can be different surfaces.
Critical Deterministic Surface

During the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis, the program also keeps track of the
Probability of Failure and Reliability Index for the Critical Deterministic Surface (i.e. the
deterministic Global Minimum slip surface – the slip surface with the minimum safety
factor, when all input parameters are equal to their mean values).
The Probability of Failure and Reliability Index which are calculated for this surface, are the
same as would be calculated by running the Global Minimum probabilistic analysis method.
Summary of Results
An Overall Slope probabilistic analysis with Slide, therefore provides THREE distinct sets of
results.
We can rank these results from LOWEST Reliability Index to HIGHEST Reliability Index (OR
the equivalent, HIGHEST probability of failure, to LOWEST probability of failure), as follows:
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1. The Overall Slope Results – in general, the Overall Slope Results will give the
LOWEST Reliability Index (and the HIGHEST Probability of Failure), because “failure”
can occur along any surface in the slope. The analysis is not restricted to a single slip
surface.
2. The Critical Probabilistic Surface – the Critical Probabilistic Surface will (in general),
have a HIGHER Reliability Index than the Overall Slope results (and a lower
Probability of Failure).
3. The Critical Deterministic Surface – the Critical Deterministic Surface will (by
definition), have a HIGHER Reliability Index than the Critical Probabilistic Surface, IF
THE TWO SURFACES ARE DIFFERENT. If the two surfaces are the same, then the
results will of course be equal.
The potential advantage of the Overall Slope method, compared to the Global Minimum
method, is that the Overall Slope method does NOT assume that the Probability of Failure
for the slope, is equal to the Probability of Failure of the Deterministic Global Minimum slip
surface.
The interpretation and application of these results for slope design purposes, is the
responsibility of the geotechnical engineer. It is not possible to make a general statement
regarding which Probability of Failure or Reliability Index should be used, as this may vary
considerably, depending on the model, and the goals of the analysis.
Time to Run Analysis

The Overall Slope method involves a substantially greater computation time than the Global
Minimum method, because the entire slip surface search is repeated for each set of random
samples. Depending on the Number of Samples, and the complexity of your model, the
Overall Slope Probabilistic Analysis in Slide, can take SEVERAL HOURS to complete.
In general, you may wish to run an Overall Slope probabilistic analysis, at the end of a day,
as an overnight run. Remember that the Slide Compute Engine can run multiple files in
succession, so you can set up several files for an Overall Slope Probabilistic Analysis, and run
the analyses overnight.
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Model
For this tutorial, we will read in a file.
Tutorial 11 Overall Slope Reliability.slmd file.
The model is already completed, so we will note the following significant features of the
model, and then view the analysis results.
Project Settings
Go to the Project Settings dialog, and select the Statistics page.
Notice that the Probabilistic Analysis Type = Overall Slope. Select Cancel or Escape.
Material Statistics
Go to the Material Statistics dialog (in the Statistics menu) and click the Show All button.
Notice that we have defined the Cohesion and Friction Angle for 3 different materials, as
Random Variables (for a total of 6 Random Variables). All variables have Normal
distributions. Click OK.
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Also select the Correlation button in the Material Statistics dialog. We have defined a
correlation coefficient of –0.5 for each material, to ensure that the Cohesion and Friction
Angle of each material, are correlated during the statistical sampling.
Select Cancel in both dialogs.
Surface Options
Select Surface Options from the Surfaces menu.
Notice that we will be performing a Circular surface search, using the Slope Search method.
The Number of Surfaces = 1000.
Select Cancel in the dialog.
Compute
As we mentioned earlier, the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis, can take a fairly long time
to complete – anywhere from a few minutes, to several hours, depending on the complexity
of your model, the number of slip surfaces, the search method and the number of samples.
This particular model only takes a minute or so to run. Select Compute to view the analysis
progress.
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Interpret
Select the Interpret option in the Slide Model program, and you should see the following
results. Use the Zoom and Pan options to zoom in on the model.
Results of Overall Slope probabilistic analysis.

After an Overall Slope probabilistic analysis, you will initially see the following probabilistic
results displayed on the model:
• The Overall Slope probabilistic results
• Critical Deterministic Surface
Overall Slope Results

A summary of the Overall Slope probabilistic results is displayed in the Legend. This
includes:
• Mean Safety Factor
• Probability of Failure
• Reliability Index (both Normal and Lognormal)
These results correspond to the slip surfaces which you see displayed on the model. These
slip surfaces are ALL of the different Global Minimum slip surfaces, located by the Overall
Slope probabilistic analysis.
In this case, we can see that several different Global Minimum surfaces have been located.
Furthermore, it is interesting that the slip surfaces are grouped in two distinct bands:
• Several GM surfaces only traverse the upper two materials and exit near the toe of
the slope.
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• Other GM Surfaces are more deep seated, and exit the slope through the Upper
Marine Sediment layer (dark red).
The display of these surfaces can be toggled ON or OFF with the Show GM Surfaces option
in the Statistics menu.
Select: Statistics → Show GM Surfaces

Notice that the summary of Overall Slope results in the Legend, also toggles on and off with
the Show GM Surfaces option. Turn the Show GM Surfaces option ON.
Critical Deterministic Surface

The Critical Deterministic Surface is the slip surface with the lowest safety factor, when all
input parameters are equal to their mean values. This is the same surface that you would
see displayed if you were only running a Deterministic Analysis.
Critical Probabilistic Surface

The Critical Probabilistic Surface can also be displayed, after an Overall Slope probabilistic
analysis, by selecting the Show Critical Probabilistic Surface option from the toolbar or the
Statistics menu.
Select: Statistics → Crit.Prob.Surface → Show Crit.Prob.Surface
The Critical Probabilistic Surface is the individual slip surface with the LOWEST Reliability
Index, of all surfaces analyzed.
It is important to note that the Critical Probabilistic Surface, and the Critical Deterministic
Surface, ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME SURFACE. For this analysis, the two surfaces are
different.
Critical Probabilistic and Critical Deterministic surfaces.
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For the Critical Probabilistic Surface, it is possible that TWO different surfaces are located,
depending on the assumption of a Normal or a Lognormal distribution of the Safety Factor.
The results for either assumption can be displayed, by selecting the desired option from the
drop menu shortcut, beside the Show Critical Probabilistic Surface toolbar button.
Select either option. In this case, the slip surface is the SAME for either assumption.
Summary of Probabilistic Results

The following table summarizes all of the results which are presented after an Overall Slope
probabilistic analysis, for this model.
PF RI RI FS
(%) (normal) (lognormal) (mean)
Overall 6.2 1.557 1.639 1.168

Slope
Crit. Prob. 5.3 1.651 – 1.195

Surface
(Normal)
Crit. Prob 5.3 – 1.757 1.195

Surface
(lognormal)
Crit. Det. 5.2 1.659 1.762 1.186

Surface
Summary of probabilistic results.

This type of summary is very useful for organizing the main analysis results, after an Overall
Slope analysis.
Notice the ranking of the data by Reliability Index: the Overall Slope results give the
LOWEST Reliability Index, followed by the Critical Probabilistic and Critical Deterministic
results.
Similarly, the Overall Slope results show the HIGHEST probability of failure.
Info Viewer
More detailed summaries of analysis results are displayed in the Info Viewer.
Scroll down to the bottom of the Info Viewer. There you will find a more detailed summary
of the Overall Probabilistic Analysis Results, and the Critical Probabilistic Surface Results.
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Info Viewer summary of probabilistic analysis results.

Close the Info Viewer view.
Number of Analyses Per Surface

The slip surfaces displayed by the Show GM Surfaces option, represent all of the different
Global Minimum slip surfaces which were located by the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis.
In general, each of these slip surfaces will correspond to multiple runs of the probabilistic
analysis. The actual number of runs of the probabilistic analysis which correspond to each
Global Minimum slip surface, can be interactively viewed as a data tip, by simply hovering
the mouse over any surface.
First do the following:
1. Turn OFF the display of the Critical Deterministic and Critical Probabilistic surfaces,
if they are still displayed.
2. Turn OFF the Material Colours (in the sidebar > Display Options > General) so that
the surfaces are more easily visible.
3. Zoom in to the slip surfaces (use Zoom Window for example).
4. Make sure the Data Tips option is enabled in the Status Bar. (Click on the Data Tips
box until either Data Tips Min or Data Tips Max is displayed. Data Tips can also be
toggled in the View menu).
Now hover the mouse over any of the GM slip surfaces which are displayed.
For example, hover the mouse over the lowest slip surface on the model. The data tip
should indicate that 7.0% of the analyses (70 / 1000) located that surface as the Global
Minimum surface. Also, the range of calculated safety factors for the slip surface is
displayed.
When a slip surface displayed by the Show GM Surfaces option has a relatively large
number of corresponding analyses, then this surface should be given the appropriate
consideration in the slope design.
Conversely, some of the slip surfaces displayed by the Show GM Surfaces option, may only
correspond to one or two analyses. This would indicate a very small probability of that
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surface occurring as a potential failure surface, and therefore may not need to be
considered in the slope design.
Safety Factor Data

It is important to realize that the Safety Factor data, after an Overall Slope Probabilistic
analysis, is the data obtained from all of the different surfaces displayed by the Show GM
Surfaces option.
For example, if you plot a Histogram of Safety Factor, the distribution of Safety Factors, and
the Mean Safety Factor, apply to the Overall Slope results.
Safety factor distribution – overall results.

To plot the distribution of safety factor for individual GM slip surfaces after an Overall Slope
Probabilistic analysis, you can use the Pick GM Surfaces option as described below.
Alternatively, to view the distribution of Safety Factor for the Deterministic Global
Minimum slip surface, you can simply re-run the analysis, with the Probabilistic Analysis
Type = Global Minimum in Project Settings.
Pick GM Surfaces
The Pick GM Surfaces option allows you to view the Probabilistic Analysis results associated
with any individual surface or any combination of surfaces displayed by the Show GM
Surfaces option.
For example, let’s say that we wanted to find out which randomly generated material
properties corresponded to the two deep-seated Global Minimum surfaces. You could do
this as follows.
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1. Select the Pick GM Surfaces option from the toolbar or the Statistics menu. (The
Show GM Surfaces option will automatically be toggled ON, if it was not already).
2. Use the mouse to select these two surfaces. TIP – you may need to zoom in first.
Surfaces are selected by clicking on them with the left mouse button. When a
surface is selected, it will be highlighted by a dashed line as shown below. (Note:
the second surface is the global minimum surface.)
3. NOTE: if you accidentally select surfaces that you did not want to select, simply click
on the surface(s) again with the left mouse button, and the surface(s) will no longer
be selected (highlighted).
4. When the desired surfaces are selected, RIGHT CLICK the mouse. You will see a
popup menu, with two plotting options available – Histogram Plot or Scatter Plot.
5. Select Histogram Plot and you will see the Histogram Plot dialog.
6. In the dialog, select Data to Plot = “Upper Marine Sediment : Phi (deg)”.
7. Now (this is the important part !!!) – in the dialog, select the Highlight Data
checkbox. Click on the drop-down list of data to highlight. At the BOTTOM of this
list, you will see an option called Selected Surfaces. Select this option.
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8. Now select the Plot button in the dialog, and the desired plot will be generated. The
highlighted data on the plot, is the data corresponding to the two GM surfaces that
you have selected. The plot should appear as in the following figure.
Highlighted data for selected surfaces.

We have plotted the Friction Angle of the dark red material (Upper Marine Sediment). This
is the material through which a significant portion of these two slip surfaces passes through.
(Turn the material colours back on again by selecting Display Options > General > Material
Colours from the sidebar.)
The highlighted data on the plot indicates that predominantly LOW Friction Angles of the
Upper Marine Sediment material, are associated with these two slip surfaces. This is
consistent with the analysis results. Notice at the top of the plot:
Highlighted Data – Selected Surfaces (493 / 1000) = 49.3%
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If desired, you can right-click on the plot and select the Highlighted Data Only option, to
view ONLY the data for the selected surfaces. All other plotting options can also be used (for
example, export the data to Excel, or the clipboard, for further processing in other
applications).
In conclusion, the Pick GM Surfaces option is useful for determining which subsets of
probabilistic input data, or safety factor, correspond to any individual surface, or any group
of surfaces, displayed by the Show GM Surfaces option. That concludes this demonstration
of the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis method in Slide.
Additional Exercise
Using the same model, enter 2500 surfaces in the Surface Options dialog, and re-run the
analysis. Depending on the speed of your computer, this may take a bit of time.
Now view the analysis results. You will see that the Overall Slope Analysis has now located
several additional Global Minimum surfaces (displayed by the Show GM Surfaces option),
and the GM surfaces now form two distinct bands.
Analysis with 2500 slip surfaces

Compare the Overall Probability of Failure and Reliability Index, with the numbers
presented in this tutorial.
In conclusion, the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis option in Slide presents the user with a
wide range of powerful analysis and data interpretation options, not previously available in
slope stability software. You are encouraged to experiment with and explore these options.
11 - 14
Tutorial 12 Excess Pore Pressure (B-bar method)
• Undrained loading (B-bar method)
• Initial pore pressure
• Excess pore pressure
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 12: Excess Pore Pressure (B-bar method)
Introduction
This tutorial will demonstrate the Excess Pore Pressure (Undrained Loading) feature of Slide,
which allows you to account for short term changes in pore pressure due to rapidly applied
loading conditions. The finished file can be found in File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder
> Tutorial 12 Excess Pore Pressure.slmd.
The method used in Slide is the so-called “B-bar” method, in which the change in pore
pressure (excess pore pressure) is assumed to be directly proportional to a change in
vertical stress. The excess pore pressure is simply given by:
∆u = B ∆σ v Equation 1
where B (B-bar) is the overall pore pressure coefficient for a material. The change in
vertical stress can be due to the weight of added layers of material, vertical external loads,
vertical seismic loads, or a combination of these factors.
For example, if an embankment is constructed over a clay foundation, this can create a
temporary condition of “excess pore pressure” within the clay. Due to low permeability, the
excess pore pressure within the clay cannot readily dissipate. A non-steady state situation
then exists, in which the elevated pore pressure can lead to lower safety factors, and
possible failure.
The calculation of the pore pressure with the Slide B-bar method may be thought of as a 2-
stage analysis:
1. Stage 1 - an initial pore pressure distribution is determined using any of the
available methods in Slide (e.g. water surfaces, Ru coefficient, pressure grid, finite
element analysis).
2. Stage 2 - the excess pore pressure is then determined from the change in vertical
stress and the B-bar coefficient for a material, according to Equation 1.
The final pore pressure which is used in the stability calculations, is the sum of the Initial
Pore Pressure + Excess Pore Pressure. NOTE: the safety factor is only calculated at the
“final” stage, after the final pore pressure (initial + excess) has been determined for all
materials.
The following embankment model will demonstrate the Excess Pore Pressure (B-bar
method) in Slide. The tutorial consists of 4 steps:
STEP 1: First, the stability of the embankment will be determined for long-term (steady
state) conditions, without accounting for undrained loading.
STEP 2: Next, we will assume undrained loading conditions. The embankment material will
be specified as “causing excess pore pressure”, and the clay foundation layers will be
assigned B-bar pore pressure coefficients.
STEP 3: Next, we will add an additional load on the embankment. The load will also be
specified as “causing excess pore pressure”.
STEP 4: Finally, we will demonstrate that the embankment material can also be assigned an
initial pore pressure distribution, even though it is assumed to be added in “stage 2”.
12 - 2
Step 1 – no excess pore pressure

From the Slide main menu, select File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder and read in the
Tutorial 12 Embankment1.slmd file.
Run Compute. View the results in Interpret. You will see that the minimum safety factor slip
surface (FS = 2.30), passes only through the embankment material, and does not extend
into the supporting clay layers.
Critical slip surface, steady state pore pressure conditions.
12 - 3
Step 2 – excess pore pressure (embankment weight)

Duplicate the Group. We will now be working with “Group 2 – Master Scenario”.
Project Settings
1. Select Project Settings > Groundwater
2. Select the Advanced checkbox and Excess Pore Pressure option. This option must
be selected in order to compute excess pore pressure using the B-bar method.
3. Click Ok to close the dialog.
Material Properties
1. Select Define Materials.
2. For the first material (“embankment”), select the “Material weight creates excess
pore pressure” checkbox. This means that, for the purpose of the excess pore
pressure calculation, the weight of the “embankment” material will create excess
pore pressure in any material underneath the embankment which has a B-bar > 0
coefficient specified. The excess pore pressure will be calculated according to
Equation 1.
3. Select the second material (“upper clay”). Specify B-bar = 1.
4. Select the third material (“lower clay”). Specify B-bar = 1.
5. Click OK to save the changes.
Now Run Compute, and view the results in Interpret. You should see the following critical
slip surface (FS = 1.77). As you can see, the critical slip surface now extends into the upper
clay layer.
Embankment creates undrained loading in clay foundation.

Right-click on the critical slip surface and select “Add Query and Graph” from the popup
context menu. In the dialog, select “Pore Pressure” as the primary data, and “Initial Pore
12 - 4
Pressure” as the secondary data. Select Create Plot, and you should see the following plot.
(Final) Pore pressure and Initial Pore pressure for Group 2 – Master Scenario.
The Initial Pore Pressure is due to the water table located at the original ground surface.
The (final) Pore Pressure is the sum of the Initial Pore Pressure, and the Excess Pore
Pressure created by the weight of the embankment. As you can see for this example, the
Excess Pore Pressure is quite significant, and greater than the Initial Pore Pressure.
You can plot Excess Pore Pressure. Right-click on the graph and select “Change Plot Data”
from the popup menu. Select “Excess Pore Pressure” as the secondary data. Select Create
Plot and you should see the following plot.
(Final) Pore pressure and Excess Pore pressure for Group 2 – Master Scenario.
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The Excess Pore Pressure curve displays only the excess pore pressure calculated along the
slip surface, due to the weight of the embankment acting on the upper clay layer.
Step 3 – excess pore pressure (embankment and load)

In Slide, material weight is not the only mechanism which can cause undrained loading.
External loads can also be specified as “causing excess pore pressure”. To demonstrate this,
we’ll create another scenario in the second group. Name the scenario “Distributed Load”.
Go to the Loading & Support tab and add a distributed load to the top of the embankment.
1. Select Loading > Add Distributed Load
2. Specify Orientation = Vertical.
3. Enter Magnitude = 10 kPa.
4. Check the Load creates excess pore pressure checkbox.
5. Click Ok to close the dialog, then define the load between coordinates (13,7) and
(20.6,7).
For the purpose of the excess pore pressure calculation, the load (vertical component only)
will create excess pore pressure in any material underneath the load which has a B-bar > 0
coefficient specified. The excess pore pressure will be calculated according to Equation 1.
Now Run Compute, and view the results in Interpret. You should see the following critical
slip surface (FS = 1.47).
Distributed load contributes to additional excess pore pressure in clay foundation.

A different critical slip surface has been determined, with an even lower safety factor.
menu. In the dialog, select “Pore Pressure” as the primary data, and “Initial Pore Pressure”
as the secondary data. Select Create Plot, and you should see the following plot.
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(Final) Pore pressure and Initial Pore pressure for Distributed Load scenario.
The (final) Pore Pressure is the sum of the Initial Pore Pressure and the Excess Pore
Pressure. The Excess Pore pressure is now due to the change in vertical stress created by
both the embankment weight AND the distributed load.
Right-click on the graph and select “Change Plot Data” from the popup menu. Select “Excess
Pore Pressure” as the secondary data. Select Create Plot.
(Final) Pore pressure and Excess Pore pressure for Distributed Load scenario. Excess pore
pressure due to embankment weight and distributed load.
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Step 4 – include initial pore pressure within embankment

In this tutorial, we have so far not considered any pore pressure within the embankment
material (pore pressure = 0). The embankment material can also have an initial pore
pressure distribution.
Duplicate the Distributed Load scenario and rename it Embankment Pressure. We will be
editing this scenario.
Now we will create another embankment material, duplicating the original, since we want
to modify some of the water-related material properties.
1. Right-click on the embankment material and select Material Properties.
2. Click on the Copy Material Properties icon, then select Material 4 from the Copy
Material Properties dialog.
3. Go to Material 4 and rename it “embankment modified”. Specify an Ru = 0.4 for this
material.
4. Click OK to close the dialog.
5. Right-click on the embankment and change the material assignment to
“embankment modified”.
Run Compute, and view the results in Interpret. You should see the following critical slip
surface (FS = 1.33). The safety factor is now lower than the Distributed Load scenario,
because pore pressure is now calculated for the embankment material, as well as the clay
layers.
Initial pore pressure considered for embankment material.

context menu. In the dialog, select “Pore Pressure” as the primary data, and “Initial Pore
Pressure” as the secondary data. Select Create Plot.
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(Final) Pore pressure and Initial Pore pressure for Embankment Pressure scenario.
Notice that the pore pressure is no longer zero for the portion of the slip surface within the
embankment material (right hand side of the curves in the above figure).
Right-click on the graph and select “Change Plot Data” from the popup menu. Select “Excess
Pore Pressure” as the secondary data. Select Create Plot.
(Final) Pore pressure and Excess Pore pressure for Embankment Pressure scenario.
Notice in the above plot that the Excess Pore Pressure within the embankment is ZERO.
Although the embankment weight creates excess pore pressure within the clay layers
beneath, the embankment weight does not create excess pore pressure within itself
because B-bar = 0 for the embankment material.
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1. Re-run this example using ONLY the distributed load to create excess pore pressure,
and NOT the material weight. Hint: simply turn OFF the checkbox for “Material
weight creates excess pore pressure”, for the embankment material, in the Define
Material Properties dialog. Graph the Final and Excess Pore pressure for the critical
slip surface.
2. In this tutorial we have demonstrated that Excess Pore Pressure (Undrained
Loading) can be generated by material weight and / or distributed loading. In Slide,
Excess Pore Pressure can also be generated by Seismic Loading (vertical coefficient
only), or Line Loads (vertical component only). Just select the “Load creates excess
pore pressure” checkbox in the Seismic Load dialog or the Line Load dialog, when
you define Seismic or Line loads.
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Tutorial 13 Rapid Drawdown (B-bar method)
• Full drawdown
• Initial pore pressure
• Partial drawdown
• Negative excess pore pressure
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 13: Rapid Drawdown Analysis (B-bar method)
Introduction
The concept of excess pore pressure using the B-bar method can also be applied to
unloading scenarios. If a load is removed quickly from a low permeability material, a
“negative excess pore pressure” can be induced.
The change in pore pressure is given by:
∆u = B ∆σ v Equation 1
where B (B-bar) is the overall pore pressure coefficient for a material. In Slide, this can be
used to simulate the pore pressure changes due to rapid drawdown of ponded water in
earth dams.
In the Slide Rapid Drawdown (B-bar method) analysis:
1. An initial water table is defined. This defines the initial pore pressure distribution
and the initial weight of ponded water.
2. For a complete drawdown scenario, it is assumed that all ponded water is removed
from the model. The change in pore pressure for undrained materials is calculated
due to the removal (unloading) of the ponded water according to Equation 1. The
final pore pressure at any point is the sum of the initial pore pressure and the
(negative) excess pore pressure.
3. For a partial drawdown scenario, a drawdown water table is also defined. In this
case, the unloading is due to removal of ponded water to the drawdown level. This
determines the change in pore pressure for undrained materials. The pore pressure
in drained materials will be calculated from the drawdown water table.
This tutorial will demonstrate rapid drawdown analysis using the B-bar method in Slide. The
following scenarios will be analyzed: full reservoir, complete drawdown, partial drawdown.
The finished file can be found in File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder > Tutorial 13 Rapid
Drawdown.slmd.
Other Drawdown Methods

See Tutorial 17 for other rapid drawdown methods available in Slide:
• Duncan and Wright 3-stage (1990)
• Army Corps 2-stage (1970)
• Lowe and Karafiath (1960)
13 - 2
Full Reservoir, Steady State

First we will analyze a dam with a full reservoir.
From the Slide main menu, select File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder and read in the
Tutorial 13 Drawdown1.slmd file. You can rename Group 1 to “Full Reservoir Steady State”.
Dam with full reservoir.

The model represents a dam with a clay core, a transition zone, and a granular fill outer
layer.
Run Compute and then view the results in Interpret. The critical slip circle has a safety
factor = 1.99. Select the Show Slices option to highlight the sliding region.
Critical slip circle with full reservoir.
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Rapid Drawdown of entire reservoir

Go back to the Modeler. Duplicate the “Full Reservoir Steady State” group and name the
new group “Rapid Drawdown (Entire)”.
In this group we will simulate complete drawdown of the reservoir.
Project Settings
1. Select Project Settings > Groundwater
2. Check the Advanced checkbox and specify Rapid Drawdown Method = Effective
Stress using B-bar. The change in pore pressure due to removal of the ponded
water will be calculated using the B-bar method.
3. Click OK to save the settings.
Note that the water table is labeled as “initial” and no ponded water is displayed. This is to
indicate that a complete drawdown state exists, i.e. the ponded water will be removed for
the final stage of the analysis (i.e. the safety factor calculation).
Material Properties
1. Select Define Materials.
2. For the “clay core”, “transition” and “hard bottom” materials click the Undrained
Behaviour checkbox and enter B-bar = 1. This will result in a negative pore pressure
change for any of these materials which is located beneath the ponded water,
calculated according to Equation 1.
3. The “granular fill” is assumed to be free-draining, so the “undrained” checkbox is

NOT selected. For a complete drawdown scenario, this will result in zero final pore
pressure for this material.
4. Click OK to save the changes.
Run Compute, and view the results in Interpret. You should see the following critical slip
surface (FS = 1.44). Select the Show Slices option.
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Critical slip surface after rapid drawdown.

The critical safety factor after rapid drawdown is significantly lower than the safety factor of
the full reservoir, as we would expect, due to the removal of the support provided by the
ponded water against the slope. For this example, the critical slip circles, before and after
drawdown, are quite similar (i.e. large, deep seated surfaces passing through the core of the
dam).
Let’s examine the pore pressure along this slip surface. Select Graph Query from the
toolbar.
Select Pore Pressure as the primary data, and Initial Pore pressure as the secondary data,
and select Create Plot. You should see the following plots.
Initial Pore Pressure and Final Pore pressure.

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Notice that the (final) Pore Pressure is lower than the Initial Pore Pressure for most of the
slip surface.
• For the portion of the slip surface within the “transition” material (B-bar = 1) this is
due to the negative change in pore pressure due to removal of the ponded water
load.
• For the portion of the slip surface within the “granular fill” material (free draining)
the final pore pressure is zero due to the complete drainage of the fill material.
Let’s plot the Excess Pore pressure. Right-click on the graph, and select “Change Plot Data”
from the popup menu. Select Excess Pore Pressure as the secondary data, and select Create
Plot. You should see the following plot.
Final pore pressure and excess pore pressure, rapid drawdown analysis.
The negative excess pore pressure is clearly visible on the plot.
• For the portion of the slip surface within the “transition” material (B-bar = 1) this is
due to the negative change in pore pressure due to removal of the ponded water
load.
• For the “granular fill” material, the “negative excess pore pressure” is actually the
change in pore pressure due to the lowering of the water table. Since the granular
fill is free draining, the negative excess pore pressure is NOT due to the B-bar
unloading effect, but is simply the difference between the initial and final pore
pressure.
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Rapid Drawdown to specified level

Finally, let’s demonstrate how we can model rapid drawdown to a specified water level,
rather than a full drawdown. Duplicate the “Rapid Drawdown (Entire)” group and name the
new group “Rapid Drawdown (Specific Level)”. We will be editing this group.
1. Select Boundaries > Add Drawdown Line.
2. In the prompt line enter t then Enter.
3. In the Coordinate Table that appears, copy and paste the following coordinates,
then click OK.
0 0
37.8530642196367 7.3830662547644
79.292 18.543
135.398610454628 45.5376610208739
175.1 20
265 20
4. Hit Enter to complete entering the water line.
Partial drawdown of reservoir.

Note that ponded water is defined where the drawdown water level is above the slope. In
this case, the change in loading is due to the difference in the weight of ponded water
between the initial and final water tables. This unloading creates a negative change in pore
pressure for undrained materials.
Run Compute, and view the results in Interpret.
For this example, the minimum safety factor at partial drawdown (FS = 1.25) is lower than
the minimum safety factor at full drawdown. This is due to the material properties and
geometry of the slope – e.g. complete drainage (zero pore pressure), assumed for the
granular material for the complete drawdown state. At partial drawdown, the drawdown
water table creates significant pore pressure in the granular material, towards the toe of
the slope, and this leads to the lower safety factor. For this particular model, a minimum
safety factor therefore exists at some intermediate drawdown level.
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Tutorial 14 Groundwater Flow in a Coffer Dam
• Seepage analysis
• Multiple materials
• Discharge sections
• Groundwater only calculation
• Flownets
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 14: Groundwater Flow in a Coffer Dam
Introduction
In this tutorial, finite element groundwater seepage analysis is used to determine the
quantity of seepage entering a cofferdam. The example is based on problem 2.4 from Craig
(1997). The problem is constructed and solved entirely with Slide.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder
> Tutorial 14 Cofferdam Seepage.slmd.
Model
Project Settings
Open the Project Settings dialog from the Analysis menu and make sure the General tab is
selected. Define the Units of Measurement as being “Metric” and Time Units as “Seconds.”
Click Groundwater on the left. Under Method choose Steady State FEA. This enables steady
state Finite Element Analysis of groundwater flow. Close the Project Settings dialog by
pressing the OK button.
Geometry
We are going to import the geometry from a .dxf file.
Select File > Import > Import DXF, and open Tutorial 14 Cofferdam Seepage.dxf.
Keep the default layer assignments and click OK.
Material Properties
Select Define Materials from the Properties menu. You will see the default material
properties for Material 1. In this tutorial we don’t care about the strength of the solid
material therefore leave all the default values. Change the name of Material 1 to Soil. Now
click Material 2 on the left. Change the name of Material 2 to Sheet Pile. Click OK to close
the dialog.
We now need to define the fluid flow properties of the soil. To do this, we first need to
switch to the groundwater mode. Go to the Analysis menu and select Steady State
Groundwater Mode. You can also get to groundwater mode using the Groundwater tab at
the top, or by clicking on the tab at the bottom of the screen for Steady State Groundwater.
Now go to the Properties menu and choose Define Hydraulic Properties. Click on the Soil
on the left of the dialog. Enter 4e−7 for Ks. Ks is the saturated permeability in m/s (also
called hydraulic conductivity). You may specify anisotropic permeability by specifying K2/K1
≠ 1 and an angle to indicate the directionality. However we will assume isotropic
permeability so do not change the default values.
14 - 2
The Model option at the top of the dialog refers to the function used to calculate the
permeability in the unsaturated zone as a function of matric suction. Different models may
be chosen, including a user-defined model. However we will use the default Simple option.
See the Slide Help for more information on permeability models. Your dialog should now
look like this.
Now select the Sheet Pile material. The sheet piling is assumed to be essentially
impermeable. We wish to set the permeability to a very low value, however we cannot
choose 0 since this will lead to numerical instability. Therefore set the permeability, Ks, to
1e−20. Click OK to close the window.
Assign Material Properties

By default, the entire model is assigned the properties of Soil (material 1). We wish to
assign the Sheet Pile properties to the sheet pilings. From the Properties menu, select
Assign Properties. Select Sheet Pile from the Assign dialog and click inside the two narrow
sections representing the two sheet pilings (zoom in if necessary). Close the dialog.
Mesh
Now generate the finite element mesh. Select the Mesh Setup option in the Mesh menu.
Leave the default element type (3 Noded Triangles) and the number of elements (1500).
Click the Discretize button followed by the Mesh button.
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Close the Mesh Setup dialog by selecting the OK button. Your model should now appear as
shown.
The model after meshing
Boundary Conditions
The model shows the default boundary conditions (no flow on the external boundaries and
unknown conditions at the surface). We wish to simulate ponded water to the left and right
of the sheet piling. The elevation of the top of the sheet piling is 13 m. Therefore we will set
the total head for these boundaries to 13 m. To do this, choose Set Boundary Conditions
from the Mesh menu. For BC Type choose Total Head. Enter a Total Head Value of 13.
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Now select the four boundary segments that enclose the ponded water:
Line 1: from (0,10) to (9,10)

Line 2: from (9,10) to (9,13)
Line 3: from (18.2,10) to (18.2,13)
Line 4: from (18.2,10) to 27,10)
Click Apply.
The soil surface inside the coffer dam has zero pore pressure (it is at atmospheric pressure).
Therefore we need to set the pressure on this surface to zero. In the Set Boundary
Condition Dialog, choose Zero Pressure for the BC Type. Click on the ground surface
between the pilings and hit Enter (or right click and choose Assign). Now close the dialog
box. Your model will appear as shown.
TIP: you can also right-click on a boundary to define its boundary conditions.
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Discharge Sections
If we wish to calculate flow quantities, this is done by defining a Discharge Section. A
Discharge Section in Slide is a user-defined line segment, through which the steady state,
volumetric flow rate, normal to the discharge section, will be calculated during a
groundwater seepage analysis.
We wish to add horizontal discharge sections at the soil surface. To do this, choose Add
Section from the Discharge menu. Enter a start point on the left boundary just below the
ponded water. Add a finish point on the left edge of the left sheet piling just below the
ponded water. Hit Enter to finish entering points. You can enter the coordinates using the
keyboard but it is easier to just click on the model since the cursor will snap to the
boundaries (if the cursor does not snap to the boundaries go to the View menu, select Snap
and ensure all of the options are selected).
The discharge section is displayed as a green line, with small circles marking the endpoints
as shown. The value of the flow rate across this line will be displayed in the Slide Interpret
program, when you view the analysis results.
TIP: you can delete a discharge section by right-clicking on it and choosing Delete Discharge
Section.
Add two more sections: one below the soil surface on the other side under the ponded
water, one below the soil surface between the sheet pilings.
Your final model should now appear as shown.
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You have completed the definition of the model. Save the model.
Compute
Since we are only interested in the groundwater results, we only need to run the
groundwater computation. Select Compute (groundwater) from the Analysis menu (or click
the Compute groundwater button in the Groundwater toolbar). The analysis should take a
few seconds to run.
Once the model has finished computing (Compute dialog closes), select the Interpret
(groundwater) option in the Analysis menu to view the results.
Interpret
After you select the Interpret option, the Interpret program starts and reads the results of
the analysis. The following screen is displayed showing the Pressure Head contours.
You can also see the volumetric flow rate and direction through each of the discharge
sections. As you would expect, the water is flowing down from the ponded water and up
into the dam. The sum of the volumetric downwards flow is equal to the volumetric
upwards flow between the sheet pilings.
To see the magnitude and direction of flow throughout the model, plot the Flow Vectors by
clicking the Flow Vectors button. It is clear that the groundwater is flowing around the
impermeable sheet pilings with high flow rates directly below the pilings.
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The geometry of this model corresponds to Problem 2.4 in Craig (1997). This problem asks
for the quantity of seepage entering the cofferdam. From the figure above, the volumetric
flow into the dam is 2.0116e-6 m3/s. The value given in Craig (1997) is 2.0e-6 m3/s. The
model therefore gives the same result within the number of significant digits given. Your
result may differ slightly depending on the exact position of the discharge line.
The problem also asks for a flow net to be constructed. This can also be done with Slide, as
follows. First turn off the flow vectors by pressing the Flow Vector button again. Now
change the contour data being plotted from Pressure Head to Total Head using the drop
down menu on the tool bar. Now right-click on the model and select Contour Options.
Under Mode select Filled (with lines) and then select Done. You will now see the
equipotential lines of the flownet.
To plot the flow lines, go the Groundwater menu and from the Lines sub-menu select Add
Multiple Flow Lines. Select the top left corner of the soil as the first point (you may need to
move the legend or the model prior to this). If the cursor does not snap to the node point
go to the View menu, select Snap and ensure that all snap options are turned on. Now move
horizontally until you intersect the sheet piling and click to establish the second point. Hit
enter to finish. You will now see the Flow Line Options dialog. Here you can choose how
many flow lines you wish to plot. Under Start Flow-Lines select the first option and leave the
default value (10 locations, evenly spaced along the polyline).
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Click OK to close the dialog. You will now see 10 flow lines plotted as shown. To complete
the flownet you could repeat these steps for the right side of the model.
Additional Exercise
We can simulate pumping at the bottom of the dam by setting a value for total head less
than the elevation of the surface. In the Slide Model program, change the boundary
conditions for the bottom of the dam from zero pressure to Total Head = 7 m. Recalculate
and plot the results with the Interpret program.
You can see that the volumetric discharge at the bottom of the dam is higher than before.
You can also see that the water table has been lowered. The water table is shown as a pink
line (your water table line may be obscured by the green discharge line. To hide the
discharge line, right click on it and choose Hide Discharge Sections).
14 - 9
References
Craig, R.F., 1997. Soil Mechanics, Spon Press, London and New York, 485 pp.
14 - 10
Tutorial 15 Levee with Toe Drain
• Seepage analysis
• Levee drainage
• Phreatic surface
• Groundwater only calculation
• Flownets
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 15: Levee with Toe Drain
Introduction
In this tutorial, finite element groundwater seepage analysis is used to simulate a levee with
a horizontal toe drain. Toe drains are often used to prevent capillary rise on the
downstream sloping surface. Slide can be used to test the effectiveness of different drain
configurations.
The finished tutorial can be found in File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder > Tutorial 15
Levee with Toe Drain.slmd.
Model
Open the file Tutorial 15 Levee with Toe Drain template.slmd file. The following changes
have been made to the file:
• Groundwater settings have been specified in the Project Settings
• External and material boundaries have been defined
• Material assignments have been made
• Material hydraulic properties have been defined. Note that we are considering the
underlying soil to be impermeable.
• The model has been meshed. Note that we are using 6-noded elements in this
tutorial.
The model should look like this.
Boundary Conditions
The model shows the default boundary conditions (no flow on the external boundaries and
unknown conditions at the surface). We wish to simulate ponded water to the left of the
levee. The ponded water is at a depth of 18 m, therefore we will set the total head for these
boundaries to 18 m. To do this, choose Set Boundary Conditions from the Mesh menu. For
BC Type choose Total Head. Enter a Total Head Value of 18.
Now select the two boundary segments that enclose the ponded water:
Line 1: from (-15,0) to (0,0)

Line 2: from (0,0) to (36,18)
15 - 2
Click Apply.
We will assume that the drain provides a drained boundary such that the pressure along the
top of the drain is 0. Therefore choose Zero Pressure for the BC type.
Click on the top of the drain material (line from 65,0 to 85,0) and click apply. Close the
dialog and your model should look like this:
TIP: you can also right-click on a boundary to define its boundary conditions.
You have now completed the definition of the model. Save the model.
Compute
Since we are only interested in the groundwater results, we only need to run the
groundwater computation. Select Compute (groundwater) from the Analysis menu (or click
the Compute groundwater button in the toolbar). The analysis should take a few seconds to
run.
Once the model has finished computing (Compute dialog closes), select the Interpret
(groundwater) option in the Analysis menu to view the results.
Interpret
the analysis. A screen is displayed showing the pressure head results. Display the material
boundaries by selecting View → Display Options and checking the box for Material
Boundaries in the General tab. Click Done. Your plot should look like this:
15 - 3
Pressure head in the model
The purpose of the toe drain was to prevent the phreatic surface from intersecting the right
(downstream) side of the levee. The phreatic surface is shown as a pink line on the plot and
it is clear that it does not intersect the boundary, meaning that the drain performed as
desired.
We can easily construct a flow net to examine the results in more detail. Change the
quantity being plotted from Pressure Head to Total Head using the drop down menu on the
tool bar. Now right-click on the model and select Contour Options. Under Mode select Filled
(with lines) and then select Done. You will now see the equipotential lines of the flownet.
To plot the flow lines, go the Groundwater menu and from the Lines sub-menu select Add
Multiple Flow Lines. Select the top left corner of the levee as the first point (40,20). Now
select the bottom left corner of the levee (0,0). Hit enter to finish. You will see the Flow Line
Options dialog. Here you can choose how many flow lines you wish to plot. Under Start
Flow-Lines select the first option and leave the default value (10 locations, evenly spaced
along the polyline). Click OK to close the dialog. You will now see 10 flow lines plotted as
shown.
Flow lines in the model
This concludes the Levee with Toe Drain tutorial.
Modeling Comments
If you display the flow vectors for this model, and view the discharge velocity contours (see
figure below), you will observe that there is apparently no flow taking place within the drain
material. This is because the zero pressure boundary condition along the top of the drain,
15 - 4
acts as a “sink”, and this is what simulates the drainage condition. The high permeability of
the drain material does not create the drainage condition, in this case.
However, if you remove the zero pressure boundary condition at the top of the drain, and
re-run the analysis, you will then see actual flow through the drain material, as shown in the
figure below. This is due to the difference in permeability of the drain and levee materials.
For this particular model, the analysis results (pressure head, total head, location of water
table) are very similar, with or without the boundary condition. However, this will not
always be the case, and in general it is recommended that the zero pressure boundary
condition is used to enforce the drainage condition at the desired location.
Another modeling alternative is to exclude the base and drain material altogether, and just
model the levee material with boundary conditions, as shown in the next figure.
If you are only interested in groundwater results, and the base material is assumed to be
impermeable, then it is sufficient to only model the levee as shown in the above figure.
15 - 5
However, if you are also carrying out a slope stability analysis, then you might require the
base material in order to ensure a complete slope stability analysis of the entire model (i.e.
to account for slip surfaces which pass through the base material).
Additional Exercise
We can simulate a levee with a low permeability core by specifying material boundaries to
define the core and setting up a new material with a lower permeability (say 1e-11 m/s). An
example is shown below:
Another possibility is to construct a levee with a non-horizontal toe drain as shown.
This type of model is described in Groundwater Verification Problem #4.
15 - 6
Tutorial 16 Tension Cracks
• Tension crack boundaries
• Tension crack depth
• Query slice data
• Thrust line
• Sensitivity analysis
Slide v.7.0 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 16: Tension Cracks
Introduction
In slope stability analyses with cohesive soils, tension forces may be observed in the upper
part of the slope. In general, soils cannot support tension so the results of these analyses
are not strictly correct. To obtain more accurate results, a tension crack boundary may be
introduced. A tension crack essentially terminates the slip surface, thereby removing the
tensile stresses from the calculations. In this tutorial, tension cracks are introduced into a
Slide model and different methods of determining the depth of the tension crack are
explained.
The tutorial consists of three parts. All tutorial files installed with Slide 7.0 can be accessed
Model with no Tension Cracks

Start the Slide Model program. For this tutorial we will start with the model from Tutorial 2.
To open this file, go to File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder and choose Tutorial 02
Materials and Loading.slim.
Project Settings
Open the Project Settings dialog from the Analysis menu and select Methods on the left.
Check the GLE/Morgenstern-Price method and the Spencer method as shown. We need to
use these analysis methods in order to obtain the thrust line, discussed later in the tutorial.
Click OK to close the Project Settings dialog.

16 - 2
Compute
Save the model using the Save As option in the File menu. Be sure to name it something
different so you don’t overwrite the file for Tutorial 2. Choose Compute from the Analysis
menu to perform the analysis and choose Interpret from the Analysis menu to view the
results.
Interpret
The Interpret program shows the results of the Bishop Simplified analysis by default.
Change the analysis to Spencer using the pull-down menu in the tool bar. The results should
look like this:
Spencer Method results
You can see a factor of safety equal to about 0.81.
For the Spencer (and GLE) methods we can plot a thrust line for the analysis. Go to the
Query menu and choose Show Line of Thrust. (NOTE: the thrust line option is not available
for Bishop or Janbu methods). The plot should look like this:
16 - 3
Line of thrust in Spencer Method results
The thrust line gives the location of the resultant interslice forces (see the Slide help topics
for more information). The important thing to observe here is that the thrust line extends
outside of the sliding mass near the top of the slope. This generally indicates that tension is
present.
To examine this further, we can view the force balance on each slice. From the Query
menu, choose Query Slice Data. When you click on individual slices you can see the forces.
For slices near the top of the slope you can see that the interslice forces are negative (note
the minus sign in front of the force magnitude).
The fifth slice from the top (Slice Number 46) shows negative forces on one side and
positive forces on the other as shown. This slice represents the transition from tensile to
compressive interslice forces in the sliding mass. The depth to the bottom of this slice can
give a rough estimate as to the depth of the tension crack that will be required to eliminate
the tension in the model. In this case the depth is about 4.5 m.
16 - 4
Interslice forces in slice number 46
We can also graph the interslice forces to observe the tension. First close the Slice Data
dialog. Right-click on the slip surface and select Graph Query from the popup menu. In the
Graph Slice Data dialog, select Interslice Normal Force as the Primary Data to plot, and
select the Create Plot button.
You should see the following graph. Notice the negative forces for the slices at the top of
the slope. Also note that the absolute magnitude of the tension is relatively small,
compared to the compressive forces further down the slope.
16 - 5
Interslice normal force (kN) vs. Distance (m)
We will now rerun the model with a tension crack boundary to try to eliminate the tension.
Model with Tension Crack Boundary

Go back to the Slide model program. We now wish to eliminate the tension in the model.
Duncan and Wright (2005, chapter 14) provide an informative discussion on tension in the
active zone and describe how adding a tension crack can eliminate the effects of tension in
the slope stability calculations. In Slide, we can insert a tension crack boundary to delineate
the lower extent of any possible tension cracks. The trick is to determine the depth at which
to put this boundary.
As mentioned above, you could use the depth of the first slice in which tension is observed
(~ 4.5 m). Alternatively, analytical equations have been derived to determine the depth for
a tension crack, for example, Abramson et al. (2002) give this relationship:
2c
=zc tan ( 45 + 12 φ )
γ 1
Where zc is depth of tension crack, c is the material cohesion, φ is the angle of friction and γ
is the unit weight of the soil material. This equation is derived in terms of effective stress
parameters for a single homogenous material (although undrained strength parameters
could also be used when appropriate). Using this equation a depth of 4.3 m is calculated,
which is very close to our estimated value of 4.5.
A tension crack depth of 4.3 meters translates into a y-coordinate of 35.7 m, so we will use
this to define the tension crack boundary.
16 - 6
To add the tension crack boundary, go to the Boundaries menu and select Add Tension
Crack. Enter the right vertex 100, 35.7. We want the boundary to extend horizontally to
intersect the slope so right click and ensure that Snap, Ortho and OSnap are all checked.
Close the context menu and draw a horizontal line that intersects the slope face. Hit Enter
to finish entering points. The model should now look like this:
You can see how the boundary delineates a zone of tension cracking. When a potential
failure surface hits this line, it will ascend vertically to the ground surface to create a tension
crack.
By default, the tension crack zone is assumed to be saturated. The filled tension crack
represents the worst case scenario (it will give the lowest factor of safety). However, since
we want to compare this model to the model with no tension crack, we will use the actual
water table to define the crack saturation. To do this, right click on the tension crack zone
and select Tension Crack Properties. For Water Level, choose Use Water Table. Click OK to
close the dialog. The model will now look like this:
16 - 7
You can see how the potential tension cracks are now shown as saturated only up to the
water table.
Compute
Save the model using the Save As option in the File menu. You may want to choose a
different name so you can compare the results of this model with the results from the
model with no tension cracks.
Choose Compute from the Analysis menu to perform the analysis and choose Interpret
from the Analysis menu to view the results.
Interpret
As before, the Interpret program shows the results of the Bishop Simplified analysis. Change
the plot to Spencer. Add the thrust line (Query → Show Line of Thrust) and the results
should look like this:
16 - 8
This plot shows several key differences from the example with no tension cracking:
• Where the failure surface intersects the tension crack boundary, a vertical tension crack
forms that extends to the ground surface
• The line of thrust is completely inside the failure surface indicating that there is no
tension in the soil mass
• The factor of safety has decreased slightly to about 0.79.
Although the difference in factor of safety is small, in general it is good practice to introduce
a tension crack zone for models which exhibit tensile interslice forces, to obtain a more
accurate failure surface and to eliminate possible numerical stability problems. For models
with more extensive tensile zones or larger tensile forces, it may be essential to introduce a
tension crack zone in order to obtain realistic results.
If we graph the interslice normal force as we did previously, the graph indicates
compressive interslice forces for all slices, with no tension present, as shown in the next
figure. Note that the normal force on the last slice is not zero – this is due to the hydrostatic
water force in the tension crack. If the tension crack zone were dry, then the normal force
on the side of the last slice would be zero.
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Interslice normal force (kN) vs. Distance (m) after a tension crack is defined
Tension crack sensitivity analysis

The tension crack depth calculated from equation 1 (4.3 m) eliminates the tension in the
model and therefore produces more reliable results. There are many valid possibilities for
tension crack depth that will eliminate the tension in the model. We now wish to determine
the tension crack depth that minimizes the factor of safety. We can calculate this depth
using a sensitivity analysis.
Go back to the Slide model program. Delete the tension crack boundary by right clicking on
it and selecting Delete Boundary.
Open the Project Settings from the Analysis menu. Click on Statistics on the left side and
check the box for Sensitivity Analysis as shown.
16 - 10
Click OK to close the dialog.
We will now define the upper and lower limits of the tension crack boundaries and Slide will
test 50 possible tension crack boundary locations in between these limits. Go to the
Statistics menu and select Tension Crack → Draw Min Tension Crack. Enter 100, 32 for the
right coordinate. As before, ensure that all snapping is turned on by right clicking and
turning on all snap options. Draw a horizontal line that intersects the slope surface. Click the
left mouse button at the intersection point. Hit Enter to finish entering points. You have
now defined the minimum (bottom) tension crack boundary.
To draw the maximum (top boundary) go to the Statistics menu again and select Tension
Crack → Draw Max Tension Crack. Click on the top right corner of the model (100, 40).
Now, it is important that the top boundary extends the same horizontal distance as the
bottom boundary. So to get the second point, move the cursor to the left point of the
bottom boundary and hold it there for a second but don’t click! You will now see a dashed
red line extending vertically. Move up the vertical line so that you are drawing a horizontal
line as shown.
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Click the left mouse button to establish a point directly above the left point on the lower
boundary. Hit Enter to finish entering points.
You will now see the minimum, maximum and mean tension crack boundaries as shown.
As before, we only want the tension crack saturated below the water table. So from the
Properties menu, choose Define Tension Crack. Set the Water Level to Use Water Table.
Compute
Save the model using the Save As option in the File menu. Choose Compute from the
Analysis menu to perform the analysis and choose Interpret from the Analysis menu to
view the results.
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Interpret
As before, change the plot to Spencer. Add the thrust line (Query → Show Line of Thrust)
and the results should look like this:
This plot is showing the results for the mean tension crack location. For the mean boundary
(at a depth of 4 m), the thrust line is completely inside of the sliding mass indicating no
tension, and the factor of safety is 0.796.
To examine the results of the sensitivity analysis, go to the Statistics menu and choose
Sensitivity Plot. Choose the Spencer analysis method and select the checkbox for Sensitivity
– Tension Crack Location under Data to Plot. Click the Plot button.
You will see the factor of safety plotted versus the tension crack boundary location.
16 - 13
The tension crack boundary location is defined as a fraction of the distance from the
minimum (32 m) to the maximum (40 m). The plot shows a clear minimum at a value of
about 0.325. This therefore corresponds to a y-coordinate of about 34.6 m and therefore a
depth of about 5.4 m.
To obtain more precise values from the graph, you can use the Sampler options. For
example, right click on the chart and choose the Sampler > Show Sampler option. Now
hover the sampler on the lowest point of the graph. The minimum FOS tension crack
location is indicated to be 0.3265, as shown in the following figure.
The minimum factor of safety is also obtained using the Sampler.
To summarize, the tension crack depth which minimizes the factor of safety for this model is
about 5.4 m, as determined by the sensitivity analysis. This is about 1 meter more than the
depth given by Equation 1 (4.3 meters) and the estimated depth of 4.5 meters, based on
the tensile interslice forces of the original model.
This concludes the Tension Crack tutorial.
16 - 14
The same analysis can be performed in RS2 (a finite element program from Rocscience)
using the Shear Strength Reduction method. Start RS2 and import the Slide file from Tutorial
2. Set the number of elements to 1800 during the import process. Run the analysis.
The following plot shows the results at the critical Strength Reduction Factor of 0.79. The
white circles indicate tensile failure. You can see that the zone of tensile failure varies from
about 6 to 9 m deep.
References
Abramson, L.W., Lee, T.S., Sharma, S. and Boyce, G.M., 2002. Slope stability and
stabilization methods, second edition, John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York.
Duncan, J.M. and Wright, S.G., 2005. Soil strength and slope stability, John Wiley & Sons
Inc., New York.
16 - 15
Tutorial 17 Multi-Stage Rapid Drawdown
• Rapid Drawdown: Duncan, Wright and Wong
• Rapid Drawdown: Lowe and Karafiath
• Rapid Drawdown: Army Corps of Engineers
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 17: Multi-Stage Rapid Drawdown
Introduction
When the water level at a dam drops, the stabilizing force due to the weight of the water is
removed. If the dam material has a low permeability and the water level drops quickly, then
excess pore pressures will be slow to dissipate. This causes reduced stability in the slope.
This tutorial describes how to use Slide to model rapid drawdown and examine the effect on
dam stability and factor of safety.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found by selecting File > Recent Folders >
Tutorials Folder > Tutorial 17 Rapid Drawdown.slmd in Slide.
This tutorial does not go through the process of setting up a rapid drawdown analysis. For
details on how to do this, see Tutorial 13.
Full Reservoir, Steady State

The model is based on the Pilarcitos Dam analysis as described in Duncan, Wright and Wong
(1990). The dam failed due to rapid drawdown of the water level in November, 1969.
We will load a file which has been prepared for this tutorial. Go to File > Recent Folders >
Tutorials Folder and open Tutorial 17 Rapid Drawdown.slmd.
Notice that the file has four groups, one without drawdown and one for each drawdown
method examined in this tutorial. Compute the file.
Interpret
Looking at the results of the Water Table group, you can see that the factor of safety is 2.5
and that this is for a very small surface slip at the toe. (You can prevent Slide from
generating these shallow failure surfaces by going to Surfaces → Surface Options and
selecting a minimum depth greater than 0. See the help files for more details.) Essentially,
this model can be considered stable.
Rapid Drawdown
Go back to the Modeler and let us examine the Project Settings and Material Properties for
the first drawdown analysis, Duncan Wright and Wong.
Go to the Groundwater Tab of the Project Settings and notice the Undrained Strength
Interpolation Scheme for Rapid Drawdown section. The default option is VandenBerge,
Wright (2016). Click Cancel to exit the Project Settings.
Go to the Material Properties dialog and click on the Define Strength button in the Rapid
Drawdown Parameters section. For the Duncan, Wright and Wong and Lowe Karafiath
methods, Cr and PhiR parameters must be entered.
17 - 2
The total stress R envelope is a way of representing the undrained strength of the material.
It is also possible to specify a Kc = 1 envelope. For details about the meaning of these
different envelopes, and their relationship to each other, see the information below.
About Strength Envelopes:
For undrained material, the shear strength can be determined from isotropic consolidated
undrained (IC-U) laboratory tests. The total stress R envelope can be constructed as shown
below.
Where 𝜎𝜎3𝑐𝑐 ′ is the effective stress during (isotropic) consolidation and (𝜎𝜎1 − 𝜎𝜎3 )𝑓𝑓 is the
principal stress difference at failure.
Strength Envelopes
From the same laboratory test data, it is possible to construct a Kc = 1 envelope instead as
shown below.
These two different envelopes are related through the following equations:
cos 𝜙𝜙𝑟𝑟 cos 𝜙𝜙′

𝑑𝑑𝑘𝑘𝑐𝑐 =1 = 𝑐𝑐𝑟𝑟 � �
1 − sin 𝜙𝜙𝑟𝑟
sin 𝜙𝜙𝑟𝑟 cos 𝜙𝜙′

𝜓𝜓𝑘𝑘𝑐𝑐=1 = tan−1 � �
1 − sin 𝜙𝜙𝑟𝑟
17 - 3
Where φ′ is the undrained friction angle.
Army Corps method
To perform the limit equilibrium analysis, the Army Corps method requires the R envelope.
If the Kc = 1 envelope is entered instead, then it is converted using the above equations. The
R envelope is then combined with the effective stress envelope to avoid relying on elevated
shear strengths that result from negative pore pressures. The composite envelope is shown
below.
Strength Envelopes
Other methods
The Lowe and Karafiath (1960) and the Duncan Wright and Wong (1990) methods require
the Kc = 1 envelope. If the R envelope is entered instead, then it is converted using the
above equations. Kc = 1 refers to an isotropically consolidated state. To get the envelope for
an anisotropically consolidated material (where Kc ≠ 1) the drained failure envelope is
plotted on the same graph. The drained envelope is assumed to represent the undrained
shear strength of the soil at maximum allowable Kc (i.e. the value of Kc that results in failure
during consolidation). The envelope to be used in the analysis is then interpolated between
the two, using the value of Kc for each slice in the limit equilibrium analysis of the slope
prior to drawdown.
17 - 4
Once the envelope is defined, the limit equilibrium analysis is performed for the second
stage (after drawdown) using the new shear strengths. In the Duncan, Wright and Wong
(1990) method, a third stage of computation is also performed. In this stage, the effective
stress on the bottom of each slice (after drawdown) is calculated and if the drained shear
strength is less than the undrained shear strength, then the drained shear strength is used
instead.
Interpret
Go back to Interpret and look at the results for Duncan, Wright and Wong.
Rapid Drawdown Method: Duncan, Wright and Wong
You can see that the factor of safety is approximately 1, corresponding to a slope failure as
observed at the actual Pilarcitos dam.
The Lowe and Karafiath method is essentially the same as the Duncan, Wright and Wong
method. The difference is that the Duncan, Wright and Wong method performs a third
stage of calculation in which it checks if the effective stress after drawdown produces a
drained strength that is less than the undrained strength. If any slices are found for which
this is the case, then the drained strength is substituted and the analysis is rerun. Click OK to
close the dialog.
You can see that the factor of safety for the Lowe and Karafiath method is 1.051. This is
slightly higher than the value of 1.047 obtained with the Duncan, Wright and Wong
method. This indicates that some of the slices must have had lower drained strengths than
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undrained strengths. Therefore the third stage of analysis in the Duncan, Wright and Wong
method resulted in a slightly lower factor of safety.
The Army Corps method uses a different failure envelope than the other methods. However
we did not need to change the material properties since Slide automatically performs any
required conversions.
The factor of safety for the Army Corps method is 0.822 – significantly lower than the other
methods. This agrees with the general belief that the Army Corps method gives results that
are too conservative.
This concludes the tutorial.
Additional Exercise
Instead of using the R envelope, try entering a Kc = 1 envelope instead. If you specify d = 64
lb/ft2 and ψ = 24.4° then you should get the same results.
References
Corps of Engineers, 1970. Engineering and Design – Stability of Earth and Rock Fill Dams,
Engineering Manual, EM 1110-2-1902. Department of the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers,
Office of the Chief of Engineers.
Duncan, J.M., Wright, S.G. and Wong, K.A., 1990. Slope Stability during Rapid Drawdown,
Proceedings of H. Bolton Seed Memorial Symposium. Vol. 2.
Lowe, J and Karafiath, L., 1960. Stability of Earth Dams Upon Drawdown, Proceedings of 1st
PanAm Conference on Soil Mechanic and Foundation Engineering. Mexico City, Vol 2.
17 - 6
Tutorial 18 Transient Groundwater Analysis
• Finite element groundwater seepage analysis
• Transient groundwater
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 18: Transient Groundwater Analysis
Introduction
A transient groundwater analysis may be important when there is a time-dependent change
in pore pressure. This will occur when groundwater boundary conditions change and the
permeability of the material is low. In this case, it will take a finite amount of time to reach
steady state flow conditions. The transient pore pressures may have a large effect on slope
stability.
This tutorial describes how to perform a transient groundwater analysis in Slide using finite
elements. A subsequent tutorial will describe how this affects slope stability calculations.
Tutorials Folder > Tutorial 18 Transient Groundwater.slmd in Slide.
Model
In Slide go to File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder and open the Tutorial 18 Transient
Groundwater initial.slmd file. This file contains the geometry.
Project Settings
Open the Project Settings dialog from the Analysis menu. Set the Stress Units to Metric, set
the Time Units to Hours and the Permeability Units to meters/second.
Click on the Groundwater link on the left side. Leave the Method as Water Surfaces. Select
the Advanced checkbox and choose Transient Groundwater.
The Method refers to the method used to obtain the initial state for the transient
groundwater analysis. In this tutorial we will simply specify an initial water table but it is
also possible to specify a grid of pore pressures or even to perform a steady state finite
element analysis to get the initial state. This is discussed further in subsequent tutorials.
Now click on the Transient link on the left. Here we need to specify the times at which we
wish to observe pore pressure results. Change the Number of Stages to 5. Enter the times
for each stage as shown.
18 - 2
Do not check the boxes to Calculate SF (safety factor). In this tutorial we will only look at the
groundwater modelling. A subsequent tutorial will combine this with slope stability
calculation.
Click OK to close the Project Settings dialog.
You will now see a blank screen with two tabs at the bottom – one for Slope Stability and
one for Transient Groundwater.
Initial Water Table

In the Slope Stability view, you can also specify the initial water table that exists prior to the
transient groundwater analysis. For this tutorial we will assume that the initial water table is
at the base of the dam, so we don’t need to specify it. If no water table is specified then all
points will have an initial pore pressure of 0.
Groundwater
Now it is time to set up the finite element model for calculation of transient groundwater
behaviour, so select the tab for Transient Groundwater at the bottom of the screen.
Before we can set up the boundary conditions we need to create a finite element mesh.
Select Mesh → Discretize and Mesh.
Boundary Conditions
We will set up boundary conditions to simulate rapid filling of the dam on the left side and
drainage from the toe drain at the bottom right.
Select Mesh → Set Boundary Conditions. For BC Type choose Total Head and set the Total
Head Value to 10 m.
Click on the left side of the slope near the bottom and click Apply.
Now for BC Type choose Zero Pressure. Click on the horizontal section at the bottom right
of the model (the toe drain). Click Apply. Click Close, and the model should look like this:
18 - 3
Material Properties (Groundwater)

Select Properties → Define Hydraulic Properties. The hydraulic properties required for a
transient analysis are the same as those for a steady state analysis except that a water
content curve (WC) must now be specified.
Here you can choose from a number of possible curves that relate permeability and water
content to negative pore pressure (suction). For this tutorial, we will define our own
relationship.
Click the New button to define a new function. Change the Name to Soil Curve. Ensure that
the Permeability tab is selected and enter the values as shown.
You can see the permeability will be 1e-7 m/s until the suction exceeds 15 kPa, at which
time the permeability decreases with increasing suction.
We now need to define the relationship between water content and suction. The
volumetric water content (θ) is the volume of water as a proportion of the total volume (θ =
Vw/VT). You can also think of it as the porosity times the degree of saturation (θ = φSw)
where the degree of saturation ranges from 0 (dry) to 1 (saturated).
Click the Water Content tab. Enter the values as shown.
18 - 4
You can see that at 0 matric suction, the water content is 0.4. If we assume the material is
100% saturated at this pressure, then this suggests a porosity of 0.4. As the matric suction
increases, the water content decreases, suggesting a decrease in saturation.
In the Define Hydraulic Properties dialog, ensure that Soil Curve is the chosen Model. Leave
all other values as default. Click OK to close the dialog.
Interpret
You will first see the initial state. All pore pressures are 0. Click on the tab for Stage 1 (10
hours). You will now see the pressure head for Stage 1 (10 hours).
Pressure head at 10 hours
You can see how the rapid rise in water level at the left edge has induced high pore
pressures along the left flank but the water has not yet flowed through the dam to increase
pressures elsewhere.
Click through the other stages using the tabs at the bottom. You will see the progression of
the groundwater with time, and in particular the changing of the water table (pink line).
Click on the tab for Stage 5 (10000 hours). This essentially represents the steady state. You
can show the progression of the water table with time by going to View → Display Options.
18 - 5
Select the Groundwater tab and under FEA water, select All Stages. Click Done. The plot will
now look like this:
Progression of the water table with time
You can see that the solid pink line represents the water table at 10,000 hours and the
dashed pink lines represent the water table at other stages. Go back to the Display Options
and turn off the water tables.
Show the flow vectors by clicking on the Show Flow Vectors button in the tool bar. The plot
will look like this.
Flow vectors after 10000 hours
You can see the flow of water towards the toe drain on the bottom right. If you click
through the stage tabs again, you will see the progression of flow through the dam with
time.
We can look at the change in pressure with time in more detail by using a query. Go to
Groundwater → Query → Add Material Query. We want to examine a single point near the
middle of the dam, so enter the coordinates 25 , 5. Hit Enter to finish entering points.
Uncheck Show Queried Values as shown.
Click OK.
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You will now see a + near the middle of the dam indicating the query point (you may need
to turn off the flow vectors to see it). Right click on the + and select Graph Data vs. Time.
You will now see a plot of pressure head versus time at that location.
Pressure Head (m) vs. Time (h) at point (25,5)
It is often more informative to use the logarithm of time. To do this, select Edit Properties
on the left sidebar. Expand the Axes item and change Logarithmic Horizontal Scale to Yes.
Click Close. The chart will now look like this:
Pressure Head (m) vs. Time (h) at point (25,5) – Logarithmic scale
18 - 7
You can see how the pressure front didn’t reach the point until about 100 hours after the
raising of the water level, and that after 100 hours, the pressure head climbed to its steady
state value of ~2.4 m at 10,000 hours.
Additional Exercise
You may want to see if 10,000 hours represents the true steady state. You can do this in
two ways:
1. Add another stage at some later time (say 20,000 hours) and see if there is any change
2. Run a steady state (non-transient) analysis and see if you get the same result.
18 - 8
Tutorial 19 Transient Groundwater Analysis with
Slope Stability
• Transient groundwater seepage analysis
• Slope stability with transient groundwater
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 19: Transient Groundwater Analysis with Slope Stability
Introduction
This tutorial describes how to use Slide to calculate factors of safety for a dam subjected to
time-dependent changes in pore pressure. As part of the tutorial, a transient groundwater
analysis is performed using finite elements.
Tutorials Folder > Tutorial 19 Transient + Slope Stability.slmd in Slide.
Model
We will open a model that has been partially prepared. Go to File > Recent Folders >
Tutorials Folder in Slide and open Tutorial 19 Transient + Slope Stability initial.slmd.
In the Project Settings, note the following:
• In the General tab, the Failure Direction is set to Left to Right

• In the Groundwater tab, the Method is set to Steady State FEA. In this tutorial we
will perform a steady state finite element analysis to get the initial state.
• In the Transient tab, we have checked the Calculate SF checkbox for each stage.
Click Cancel to close the dialog. Notice the three tabs at the bottom. One for Slope Stability,
one for Steady State Groundwater, and one for Transient Groundwater. Note that geometry
setup can only be done in the Slope Stability mode.
While in the Slope Stability mode, take a minute to look at the material properties. We have
used Mohr Coulomb in this case.
In this tutorial, we wish to restrict the search for slip surfaces to include only major failure
surfaces extending from the top of the dam to the bottom. Notice that the slope limits have
been changed. Details on how to do this can be found in Tutorial 1. Remember that the
limits can easily be moved or edited by right-clicking on the limits and choosing the
appropriate option.
Groundwater
Now it is time to set up the finite element model for calculation of groundwater behaviour.
Go to the Steady State Groundwater tab and notice that the mesh has already been
defined.
Boundary Conditions
We will set up boundary conditions to simulate ponded water on the right side.
Select Mesh → Set Boundary Conditions. For BC Type choose Total Head and set the Total
19 - 2
Head Value to 20 m. Uncheck the box for ‘Apply to steady state AND transient analysis’.
Click on the right side of the slope near the bottom, and the top of the foundation layer to
the right of the dam. Click Apply. Click Close to close the dialog. The model should look like
this:
Transient Boundary Conditions

The ponded water model shown above represents the initial state. We will now implement
transient boundary conditions to simulate a gradual drawdown of the water level.
Click on the tab for Transient Groundwater at the bottom of the screen. Select Mesh → Set
Transient Boundary Conditions. Here we set up a function that will change the boundary
conditions with time. Click the New button. Change the name to ‘Gradual Drawdown’ and
set the Type to ‘Total Head with Time’. Now fill in the Time and Total Head values as shown:
19 - 3
Click OK. Now click on the bottom right part of the slope and the top of the foundation layer
as before. Click Apply. The model should look like this:
Click Close to close the dialog. The plot now shows the height of the ponded water at the
last stage of the analysis.
Material Properties (Groundwater)

Select Properties → Define Hydraulic Properties. The hydraulic properties required for a
transient analysis are the same as those for a steady state analysis except that water
content (WC) must now be specified.
Click on the link for Dam material. For the Model, choose Simple. This is a simple built-in
function that relates permeability and water content to matric suction. To view the
relationships, click on the graph icon to the right. Set the permeability Ks to be 1e-5 m/s.
Leave the water content WC as the default value of 0.4.
Click on the link for the Foundation material. Set Ks to 1e-8 m/s. Click OK to close the dialog.
Compute
Save the model using the Save As option in the File menu. You could now choose Compute
(groundwater) from the Analysis menu to perform the groundwater analysis. However, in
this tutorial we want both the groundwater and slope stability results to be computed. So
select the tab at the bottom for Slope Stability. Now select Analysis → Compute. This will
compute both the groundwater results and the slope stability results. It may take a few
minutes to perform the calculations. When it is finished, choose Interpret (groundwater)
Interpret
You will now see the pressure head for the initial state. To show the factor of safety as well,
click the button on the toolbar for ‘Slope Stability and Groundwater’.
19 - 4
Factor of Safety and Pressure Head contours at initial stage
You can see that the slope is quite stable at this time.
Click through the other stages using the tabs at the bottom. You will see how the pressure
head changes as the water table is lowered. After 6 days, the ponded water has reached its
final depth (4 m above the foundation) but the pressure head in the dam continues to
change as water flows from regions of high pressure to low pressure.
Click on the tab for Stage 5 (50 days). This essentially represents the steady state. You can
show the progression of the water table with time by going to View → Display Options.
Select the Groundwater tab and under FEA water, select All Stages.
Click Done. The water tables at the different stages are now plotted as dashed pink lines.
They are difficult to see on this plot so change the plot to show contours of Total Head using
the drop down menu at the top. The plot will now look like this:
Progression of the water table and Total Head contours in Stage 5
19 - 5
You can see that the solid pink line represents the water table at 50 days and the dashed
pink lines represent the water table at other stages. Go back to the Display Options and
turn off the water tables. Change the contours back to Pressure Head.
You can also see the changing factor of safety as the pore pressures change. When the
water table is lowered, the factor of safety decreases dramatically since the weight of the
water has been removed but the excess pore pressures have not yet dissipated. At 6 days,
the factor of safety is lowest at just about 1.5.
Results at Stage 3 (6 days)
At 50 days, most of the excess pore pressures have dissipated and the dam becomes more
stable.
Results at Stage 5 (50 days)
You can plot the factor of safety versus time by going to Data → Graph SF with Time. You
can choose which method results to plot. Choose both the Bishop method and the Janbu
19 - 6
method as shown.
Click Plot to see the graph. It should look like this:
Factor of Safety vs. Time for the Bishop and Janbu methods
Here you can clearly see the rapid decrease in factor of safety as the water table is lowered
and the gradual increase as the excess pore pressures dissipate. This example shows the
importance of a transient groundwater analysis, since a steady state analysis would suggest
that the dam has a constant and stable factor of safety.
Additional Exercise
At 50 days, the dam has not yet reached a steady state solution. Try adding another stage
(at say 100 days) to see the final steady state factor of safety.
19 - 7
Tutorial 20 Generalized Anisotropic Material
• Anisotropic material strength
• Generalized anisotropic material
• Non-circular auto-refine search
• Probabilistic analysis
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 20: Generalized Anisotropic Material
Introduction
This tutorial describes how to simulate an anisotropic material in Slide. There are actually
five different ways to do this, but the emphasis of this tutorial will be on using the
Generalized Anisotropic option, which allows you to specify different material types in
different directions. The tutorial will also explain how to perform a probabilistic analysis
with this type of material.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 20 Generalized
Anisotropic.slmd data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting
File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu.
Model
For this tutorial, we will read in a file.
Tutorial 20 Generalized Anisotropic start.slmd file.
Material Properties
For the slope material, we will use the Generalized Anisotropic option. This allows you to
specify different material types in different directions. (Note: there are other anisotropic
material models available in Slide, see the next section for information).
Before we set up the Generalized Anisotropic material, let’s look at the sub-materials that
make up the generalized material. For this example, we will assume the soil has weak, sub-
horizontal bedding. Two materials have been set up: one that represents the direction
parallel to bedding and one that represents all other orientations.
Select Define Materials from the Properties menu.
Look at the Soil Mass and Bedding materials. So in this case, both sub-materials use Mohr-
Coulomb strength, but have different values of cohesion and friction angle. These two
materials will be assigned to a Generalized Anisotropic material as described below.
Click on Material 3. Change the Strength Type to Generalized Anisotropic.
20 - 2
Under Strength Parameters, click the New button. You will see a dialog in which you can
specify different materials over different angular ranges. We want the Bedding material to
be active within plus/minus 10° of horizontal and the Soil Mass to be active in all other
directions. Angles in the dialog are measured from horizontal, so 90° represents vertical.
Enter −10 in the Angle To column. Leave the Material as Soil Mass. In the next row, enter 10
in the Angle To column and change the Material to Bedding. Finally, in the next column, set
the Angle To = 90 and leave the Material as Soil Mass. Select OK.
Material 3 is now assigned the Generalized Function ‘User Defined 1’.
20 - 3
Click OK to close the Define Material Properties Dialog.
Anisotropic Material Models in Slide

There are actually five different anisotropic material strength models available in Slide.
These are:
• Anisotropic Strength
• Anisotropic Function
• Anisotropic Linear
• Generalized Anisotropic
• Modified Anisotropic Linear
For this tutorial, you could create the same model using the Anisotropic Function strength
type, which allows you to define discrete angular ranges with Mohr-Coulomb properties.
However, the Generalized Anisotropic strength type offers the following advantages:
• Any material type can be assigned to each angular range. All of the materials do not
have to have a Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. You can mix and match any material
types you wish (e.g. Hoek-Brown and Mohr-Coulomb).
• The Generalized Anisotropic strength type allows for probabilistic analysis whereas the
Anisotropic Function strength type does not. This will be explored further later in the
tutorial.
See the Slide Help system for details about the different anisotropic strength models which
are available.
20 - 4
Assign Materials
By default, the slope is assigned Material 1 (Soil Mass). We need to set the slope material to
the Generalized Anisotropic material that you defined above (Material 3). Right click inside
the model and select Assign Material → Generalized Anisotropic. The model will look like
this.
Compute
Analysis menu to perform the analysis and choose Interpret from the Analysis menu to
view the results.
Interpret
The Interpret program shows the results of the Bishop Simplified analysis by default. You
can see that the factor of safety is about 1.48.
The limit equilibrium method calculates the stability of each possible failure surface by
dividing up the circular area into slices and comparing the shear stress and strength on the
base of each slice. With the Generalized Anisotropic material model, the angle of the base
of each slice determines which material is used to calculate the strength.
20 - 5
Go to Query → Query Slice Data. Click on a slice about half way down the slope. In the Slice
Data dialog, scroll down to the bottom so that you can see the Base Material. For this slice it
should be 1 (Soil Mass).
Now click on a slice near the toe of the slope. In this region, the base of each slice is almost
horizontal, so the base material is Material 2 (Bedding).
This demonstrates how the applied strength model depends on the orientation of the slice
base, for the Generalized Anisotropic model.
20 - 6
If you scroll back up in the Slice Data dialog, you will see that the base friction and cohesion
reflect the values entered for Material 2 (c = 0 and φ = 20°).
Now right click on the slip surface and select Graph Query from the popup menu. In the
Graph Slice Data dialog choose Primary Data = Base Cohesion. You should see the following
plot, which shows the Bedding cohesion (=0) for the low base angle slices near the toe, and
the soil mass cohesion (=5) for the higher base angle slices.
Non-circular Failure Surface

Because of the weak bedding plane, it is likely that portions of the failure surface would
tend to follow the bedding in a sub-horizontal direction. By forcing a circular failure surface,
we are probably over-estimating the factor of safety. We can easily test this by specifying a
non-circular failure surface and observing the results.
Go back to the Slide Model program. Select Surfaces → Surface Options. Under Surface
Type, choose Non-Circular. Under Search Method, choose Auto Refine Search. This method
will automatically search for the critical non-circular surface. See the Help system for more
information.
20 - 7
Compute
Analysis menu to perform the analysis. This computation will be longer than the previous
one since the program is searching for more potential surfaces and optimizing each surface.
Choose Interpret from the Analysis menu to view the results.
20 - 8
Interpret
With non-circular surfaces, all of the centers of rotation are displayed by default. You will
need to zoom in on the slope to see the critical failure surface.
You can see that the factor of safety is about 1.26. Notably less than the value of 1.48
calculated assuming a circular surface. It is also interesting to observe the shape of the
critical surface – a section of sub-horizontal slip connected to the ground surface by a steep
incline. If you query the slices that make up the sub-horizontal section, you will see that the
base material for each slice is Material 2 (Bedding).
This shows the importance of using a non-circular failure surface in anisotropic models since
the failure surface ‘seeks out’ the weak bedding orientation to yield a lower factor of safety.
Probabilistic Analysis
Go back to the Slide Model program. We now assume that the friction angle of the bedding
orientation is not well known, and we will determine the probability of failure for a given
distribution of friction angles for the bedding.
Open the Project Settings dialog from the Analysis menu. On the left side click on Statistics.
Check the box for Probabilistic Analysis. Leave the analysis type as Global Minimum. This
will find a critical surface deterministically and then will calculate the probability of failure
using this surface with varying material properties. To re-compute the critical failure surface
for each randomization of material properties you could choose Overall Slope. Since this
takes a longer time to compute, it will be left as an additional exercise.
20 - 9

We are now going to define the statistical distribution of the strength of the bedding layer.
Go to Statistics → Materials. We are going to vary the Bedding strength so click on Bedding,
then click on the Add button. The cohesion of the bedding is 0, so we will only alter the
friction angle. Check the box for Phi.
Click Next. For Statistical Distribution, choose Normal.

Now click Finish. You now need to enter the Mean and Standard Deviation for the
distribution. The Mean is automatically set to the deterministic value from the previous
analysis (20°), so we only need to set the standard deviation. Enter 5. Now you can
automatically set the maximum and minimum to 3 standard deviations by clicking the 3x
Std Deviation button on the right. The dialog should look like this:
20 - 10
Compute
Save the model using the Save option in the File menu.
Choose Compute from the Analysis menu to perform the analysis and choose Interpret
Interpret
You will now see the deterministic centers of rotation and global minimum failure surface
along with some statistical data (you may need to zoom in).
You can see that the mean factor of safety (1.263) and deterministic factor of safety (1.258)
are nearly the same, and that the probability of failure (PF) is 10.0%.
20 - 11
You can look at the distribution of safety factors by going to Statistics → Histogram Plot.
Set the Data to Plot = Factor of Safety – spencer. Select the Highlight Data checkbox. As the
highlight criterion, select “Factor of Safety – spencer” and set the criterion to < 1.
Select the Plot button, and the Histogram will be generated as shown.
You can see a normal distribution of safety factors with about 10% of the area shown in red
(safety factor less than 1). Because the Latin Hypercube method samples the input
distributions smoothly (compared to Monte Carlo), the output in this case is also a relatively
smooth normal distribution.
Right-click on the plot and select Change Plot Data. Plot the Bedding friction angle.
20 - 12
As you can see from this plot, the low safety factors (< 1) correspond to low sampled values
of the bedding friction angle.
20 - 13
Tutorial 21 Slope Design with Eurocode 7
• Eurocode 7
• Steady State Groundwater Analysis
• Show Values
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 21: Slope Design with Eurocode 7
Introduction
Eurocode 7 is a design document that establishes rules and standards for geotechnical
engineering design across Europe (BSI, 2004). Eurocode 7 represents a major change in
design philosophy. Traditionally a single, lumped factor of safety accounts for all of the
uncertainties in the problem. With Eurocode 7, partial factors of safety are applied to
different components of the analysis. The partial factors are applied prior to the analysis to
give design values that are used in the calculation. The final result is an over-design factor,
which must be greater than 1 to ensure the serviceability limit state requirement is
satisfied. For more information on using Eurocode 7 in geotechnical design, see Smith
(2006) and Bond and Harris (2008).
This tutorial describes how to design a slope to Eurocode 7 specifications using Slide.
Model
The model is based on example 5.12 in Smith (2006). It is a simple earth dam on an
impermeable base for which the downstream side is to be analyzed. First the problem will
be analyzed in the traditional way and a factor of safety will be obtained. Then the
Eurocode design analysis will be performed.
Start the Slide Model program. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by
selecting File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu. To start with
open the file Tutorial 21 Eurocode initial.slmd data file.
Some features of this model to note:

• The dam is assumed to sit upon a high strength material that is not included in the
model.
• The Groundwater Method = Steady State FEA (finite element analysis)
• Since we are analyzing the downstream slope, the failure direction is Right to Left,
and we are using the Auto Refine Search method for circular surfaces.
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Compute
Choose Compute from the Analysis menu to perform the analysis. Make sure the Initial
scenario checkbox is selected and select OK.
Since this model uses finite element seepage analysis, you will first notice the groundwater
seepage analysis is computed, followed by the slope stability analysis.
Interpret
The Interpret program shows the results of the Bishop Simplified analysis by default. The
factor of safety is 1.37 indicating a stable slope.
Multi Scenario Modeling

• Right click on the Initial scenario in the Document Viewer, and select Duplicate
• Right click on the newly created Scenario 2 and select Rename from the popup
menu. Change the name to Design Approach 1 Combination 1.
Eurocode 7, Design Approach 1, Combination 1

Make sure that the Design Approach 1 Combination 1 scenario is selected.
Open the Project Settings dialog from the Analysis menu. On the left side click on Design
Standard. Eurocode 7 offers three different design approaches for checking GEO limit state
requirements (failure or excessive deformation of the ground). Each approach gives a set of
partial factors to be used in the analysis. Design Approach 1 is the most common in the UK
so this will be examined in this tutorial, however all three design approaches are included in
Slide.
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Design Approach 1 actually specifies two different combinations of partial factors. The first
factors the action forces, and the second factors the resisting forces through the material
properties. We will test both combinations in this tutorial.
Under design standard, select Eurocode 7 – Design Approach 1, Combination 1.
Click on the View Partial Factors button. You will see the following dialog:
Here you can see that the factor for the Permanent actions (unfavourable) is 1.35. This
essentially means that the driving force in the analysis will be multiplied by 1.35. The factors
for the material properties are 1, so that they will be unchanged in the analysis.
Click OK to close the Partial Factors dialog and click OK to close the Project Setting dialog.
Select Save to save the new scenario.
Compute
Choose Compute from the Analysis menu to perform the analysis. In the Scenario Compute
dialog, notice that only the Design Approach 1 Combination 1 scenario is selected, since the
Initial scenario has already been computed.
Select OK to compute. When the analysis is finished choose Interpret from the Analysis
menu to view the results.
Interpret
The Interpret program shows the results of the Bishop Simplified analysis by default. The
21 - 4
plot is showing the over-design factor (Γ), not the usual factor of safety (F). The over-design
factor is the ratio of resisting force to driving force for the given partial factors. If Γ > 1, then
the limit state requirement is satisfied for this Design Approach.
So, you can see that for Design Approach 1, Combination 1, Γ = 1.210, which is greater than
1, therefore this slope is considered serviceable.
We can now examine this in a bit more detail. View the slices by selecting Query → Show
Slices. Now we can plot the weight of each slice by going to Query → Show Values Along
Surface. For Slice Data, choose Slice Weight as shown:
Click Done and you will see the weight of each slice as shown:
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Now, it is interesting to compare this plot to the same plot for the Initial scenario (without
the Eurocode Design).
If it is not already open in the Interpret program, open the results from the initial analysis
performed earlier in the tutorial. Repeat the above steps to display the slice weights.
You can see that the maximum slice weight in the Eurocode analysis is about 1.35 times the
maximum slice weight in the initial analysis. This reflects the partial factor of 1.35 applied to
the driving action for Design Approach 1, Combination 1. (Note: the slice weights are not
exactly 1.35 times because the surfaces and slices are not exactly the same).
Design Approach 1, Combination 2

Go back to the Slide Model program.
Create a third scenario.
• Right click on the Initial scenario in the Document Viewer, and select Duplicate
• Right click on the newly created Scenario 3 and select Rename from the popup
menu. Change the name to Design Approach 1 Combination 2.
Open the Project Settings dialog from the Analysis menu. On the left side click on Design
Standard. Change the Design Standard to Eurocode 7 – Design Approach 1, Combination 2.
Click the View Partial Factors button. Here you can see that the partial factors for the
actions are now 1, but for the material parameters, the factors are greater than 1, indicating
that reduced material strength will be used in the analysis.
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Click OK to close the Partial Factors dialog and then click OK to close the Project Settings
dialog.
Select Save to save the new scenario.
Compute
Choose Compute from the Analysis menu to perform the analysis. In the scenario Compute
dialog, make sure the new scenario is selected for computing. Select OK.
Interpret
As before, the Interpret program shows the results of the Bishop Simplified analysis. You
can see that the over-design factor Γ is 1.094. This is still greater than 1, indicating that the
slope is considered serviceable for this design approach. This also lies between the values of
1.07 and 1.14 obtained by Smith (2006).
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Right click on the failure surface and select Show Values Along Surface → Base Cohesion.
You will see that all slices have a base cohesion of 9.6. This is 1.25 times less than the value
of 12 kN/m2 entered for the material. This reflects the partial factor applied to the cohesion
for Design Approach 1, Combination 2.
You can do the same thing to check the base friction angle. In this case you will see a friction
angle of 16.23°. With Design Approach 1, Combination 2, a partial factor of 1.25 is given for
coefficient of shearing resistance. This is the tangent of the friction angle. So, we entered a
friction angle of 20° for the material. The friction angle used in this analysis is therefore:
tan 20°
tan−1 � � = 16.23
1.25
References
Bond, A. J. and Harris, A. J., 2008. Decoding Eurocode 7, Taylor & Francis.
British Standards Institution, 2004. Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design – Part 1: General rules,
BS EN 1997-1, London, UK.
Smith, 2006. Smith’s Elements of Soil Mechanics, 8th Edition, Blackwell Publishing.
21 - 8
Tutorial 22 Slope Angle Optimization
• Change slope angle editing option
• Slope Angle Wizard
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 22: Slope Angle Optimization
Introduction
In this tutorial, Slide is used to examine the stability of an open pit mine. The Change Slope
Angle editing option is used to optimize the open pit design to make the slope as steep as
possible while maintaining a suitable factor of safety.
The completed model can be found in the file Tutorial 22 Slope Angle Optimization.slmd.
All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File > Recent Folders >
Problem
An open pit mine is excavated through weak rock. The specification of the mine design
states that the factor of safety must be greater than 1.25. The goal is to create as steep a
slope as possible (to minimize costs) while maintaining a factor of safety greater than 1.25.
This is done in Slide by constructing a series of models with different slope angles and
observing the factors of safety. By plotting the slope angle versus the factor of safety, we
can obtain the optimum slope angle for this mine.
Model
Start the Slide Model program. In this tutorial we will start by opening a model that has
already been created.
Tutorial 22 Slope Angle initial.slmd file.
You will see a model that looks like this:
This is a model of an open pit mine in which there is a layer of sediments and a layer of
weak weathered rock on top of the bedrock.
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To determine the overall angle of the slope select Tools > Dimension Angle. Click on the
crest of the slope (near 122, 120) and then click on the toe (at 30, 40). Now move the
mouse to the right to draw a horizontal line. Click the mouse button to finish drawing the
angle and you should see that the overall slope is 41°.
This represents the base model for which we will try to optimize the slope angle. We will
start by finding the factor of safety for this model and then we will change the slope angle
and observe the effects.
Compute
Run the model using the Compute option in the Analysis menu. Once the model has
finished computing (Compute dialog closes), select the Interpret option in the Analysis
menu to view the results.
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Interpret
the analysis. You will see that the factor of safety for this slope is approximately 1.
This indicates that the slope is close to failure and the design is therefore unacceptable. We
will now try to change the slope angle to produce a higher factor of safety.
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Slope Angle Wizard

For this example it will be useful to use the Multi Scenario modeling capabilities.
First, click on the Dimension Angle tool and select Delete on the keyboard.
We will be creating 4 new models with different slope angles.
Select Boundaries > Slope Angle Wizard (Scenarios). You are now prompted to pick the
starting vertex at the toe of the slope. Click on the point at 30 , 40. You are now asked to
pick the vertex at the crest of the slope. Click on the point at the top of the slope (close to
122 , 120).
Slope Angle 41 degrees

After clicking on the top point, you are presented with the Change Slope dialog. The default
action is to Project Horizontally. This is what we want since we have flat steps in our slope
and we do not want them to be rotated.
We want to make the slope shallower so choose clockwise for the rotation. We will
generate 4 scenarios in increments of 4 degrees:
22 - 5
Click OK to close the dialog. You will now see that four new groups have been created. Click
on Group 2 – Slope Angle – 4 in the Document Viewer. You will see that your slope angle is
shallower, and should be equal to 37 degrees (41 - 4 degrees) as shown in the next figure.

Click on Group 5 – Slope Angle – 16 in the Document Viewer. The slope angle here is 41 –
16 degrees = 25 degrees.
22 - 6

Select Save. This will save all of the changes to all five models.
NOTE: in general, it is better to start with the maximum slope angle, and use the Change
Slope Angle option to decrease the slope angle. If you do this, Slide will simply crop any
material boundaries at the new slope face. If you start with a shallow slope and make it
steeper, Slide will automatically extend any material boundaries which intersect the slope,
however the results may not be as you intended, and you may have to perform additional
editing to achieve the correct boundaries.
Compute
Select Compute. The checkboxes are automatically selected for the new groups. Click OK.
Once the model has finished computing, select the Interpret option in the Analysis menu to
view the results.
Interpret
In the Select scenarios to open dialog, uncheck Group 1 since we have already seen this
one. Click OK. The Interpret program will display results for the four computed models in
the Multi Scenario file.
Tile the views.
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You can immediately see the critical slip circle and safety factor for each slope angle. For the
Bishop method, the results are as follows:
• Slope Angle 41 degrees FS = 1.018 (computed previously)
• Slope Angle 37 degrees FS = 1.087
Slope Optimization
We now want to determine what slope angle will give a factor of safety of 1.25. From the
above results it is apparent that a Slope Angle of about 30 degrees should achieve this. If
you plot the results in Excel you can verify this.
FS vs. Slope Angle

1.5
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.1
1
0.9
0.8
20 25 30 35 40 45
If you interpolate the above plot, a slope angle of about 30 degrees gives a factor of safety
of 1.25.
22 - 8
Final pit design

Return to the Slide Model program. Click on the original Group (slope angle = 41 degrees).
Use the Duplicate Group option to create a new Group. Select Boundaries > Change Slope
Angle to rotate the slope by 11° clockwise following the steps outlined above.
Use the Dimension Angle option to measure the overall angle of the slope. You will see that
the overall angle is now 30°.
Run Compute and view the results in Interpret. You should see a factor of safety of about
1.25 for the slope angle = 30 degrees.
This concludes the tutorial demonstrating how you can easily optimize a slope angle using
the Slope Angle Wizard tool.
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Tutorial 23 Back Analysis of Material Properties
• slope with known failure surface
• sensitivity analysis
• probabilistic analysis
• back analysis of material strength
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 23: Back Analysis of Material Properties
Introduction
This tutorial will demonstrate how to perform back analysis of material properties using
sensitivity analysis or probabilistic analysis features in Slide. Back analysis can be used to
determine material strength at slope failure, or the required material strength to achieve a
given safety factor.
Sensitivity analysis can be used for back analysis of individual variables. Probabilistic analysis
can be used for back analysis of multiple variables.
The tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 23 Back Analysis Material Properties.slmd data
file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File > Recent Folders >
Model
Start the Slide Model program. Select File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide
main menu, and open the Tutorial 23 Back Analysis Material Properties.slmd file.
You should see the following model.
For this model a slope failure is assumed to have occurred. The actual failure surface is
given by the red line shown in the above figure. The failure surface is non-circular and
passes through a weak material layer (green material).
The material above and below the weak layer (yellow material) is significantly stronger than
the weak layer, and has the following strength properties: cohesion = 17.5 kPa and friction
angle = 30 degrees.
23 - 2
We have initially assigned the weak layer the strength properties: cohesion = 5 kPa and
friction angle = 15 degrees. Additionally, we have already pre-defined two variables for a
sensitivity analysis:
• Weak layer cohesion

• Weak layer friction angle
There are four scenarios defined in this model. Each has different properties for the weak
layer. Let’s look at Group 1 – Master Scenario now.
In Group 1, right-click on any material and select Statistical Properties. Look at the weak
layer 1 material and you should see the following properties:
The statistical material properties for all scenarios in Group 1 are outlined below.
Scenario Property Mean Rel. Min Rel. Max

Master Scenario Cohesion 5 5 5
(weak layer 1) Phi 15 5 5
Scenario 2 Cohesion 10 10 10
In Group 2, where weak layer 4 is used, we have turned on the probabilistic analysis option
in the Statistics tab of the Project Settings. For the statistical material properties we have
the following:
23 - 3
Compute
Select the Compute option.
Interpret
Select Analysis > Interpret.
Make sure you are in Group 1 – Master Scenario. You should see the following:
For the Spencer analysis method, the safety factor of this slip surface is 0.99. This is
consistent with an actual failure surface since the safety factor is approximately 1.
We have arrived at this result using specific values of cohesion and friction angle for both
materials (strong material and weak layer).
23 - 4
Sensitivity Analysis Results

Click on Scenario 2 now. In this case let’s assume that the material strength parameters of
the weak not fully known. We’ll assume the cohesion is unknown, but the friction angle is
known.
Using sensitivity analysis, and the fact that we have a known failure surface (safety factor =
1), we can easily determine a value of weak layer cohesion at failure.
The material properties we have assigned for the weak layer in Scenario 2 are:

The FS is 1.082. This is because we changed the mean cohesion from 5kPa to 10kPa. Since
the mean values of all parameters are used to calculate the deterministic safety factor
during a sensitivity or probabilistic analysis, any change to the mean values will affect the
deterministic safety factor.
Now select the Sensitivity Plot option from the Statistics menu or the toolbar. Make sure
that only the Cohesion checkbox is selected and the friction angle checkbox is cleared.
We want to know the value of cohesion which corresponds to safety factor = 1. We can do
this as follows. Right-click on the plot and select Sampler > Edit Sampler. Two dotted
crossing lines should appear. Scroll along the plot line until you obtain a factor of safety as
close to 1.0 as possible. The cursor should snap along the plot line.
23 - 5
We see that a value of weak layer cohesion = 5.5 kPa corresponds to safety factor = 1. This
assumes that all other slope parameters are exactly known and equal to their mean values
(i.e. for a friction angle = 15 degrees, the cohesion at failure = 5.5 kPa).
Now let’s assume that the cohesion is known and the friction angle is unknown.
Click on Scenario 3. The material properties we have assigned for the weak layer in Scenario
3 are:

Select the Sensitivity Analysis Plot and plot only friction angle.
Using the sampler we can find the friction angle corresponding to a FS of 1.
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A friction angle = 15.3 degrees gives safety factor = 1. This assumes all other parameters are
equal to their mean values (i.e. cohesion = 5 kPa).
To summarize: sensitivity analysis can easily be used for back analysis of individual
variables. Just remember, when you are viewing a sensitivity plot of an individual variable,
all other analysis variables are assumed to be constant and equal to their mean value. In
general, this procedure may require some trial and error, for example if the desired safety
factor is not within the output range of the sensitivity plot, you will have to adjust the
allowable range of values of the variable and re-run the analysis.
Probabilistic Analysis Results

The probabilistic analysis option in Slide can be used to carry out back analysis of two
variables simultaneously. For example, determine all possible values of cohesion AND
friction angle for a specified factor of safety. This is what we have set up in Group 2.
Recall that these are the material properties defined for Group 2.
We have used a Uniform Distribution for both cohesion and friction angle. Since we are
assuming that BOTH cohesion and friction angle are unknown variables, a simple Uniform
distribution will ensure that random samples are generated uniformly over the entire range
of each variable. Note that for a Uniform distribution, the Standard Deviation is not
applicable and is therefore disabled.
Click on Group 2 in Interpret.
You should see the following results. Note that the deterministic safety factor is still 0.99. A
summary of probabilistic results is also listed (PF = probability of failure = 51.5%, i.e. more
than half of all outcomes result in slope failure. This is as expected, since the distribution of
safety factors is approximately centered about the mean value of 1).
23 - 7
Now select the Scatter Plot option from the Statistics menu. In the Scatter Plot dialog make
the following selections. Plot weak layer Cohesion versus Phi. Select the Highlight Data
checkbox. Select Factor of Safety – Spencer. Select the Range option and set a range of 0.99
to 1.01. Select the Plot button.
You should see the scatter plot.
23 - 8
Since we chose a Uniform distribution for both Cohesion and Phi, and we did not use
Correlation, you can see that samples have been uniformly generated over the entire
specified range of both variables (i.e. cohesion 0 to 10 and friction angle 10 to 20).
Notice the data points highlighted in red. These represent pairs of cohesion and friction
angle, which result in a safety factor between 0.99 and 1.01 (as we specified in the scatter
plot dialog).
To view the highlighted data only, right-click on the plot and select “Highlighted Data Only”
from the popup menu. The plot should look as follows.
23 - 9
This plot shows the relationship between cohesion and friction angle for a safety factor of
approximately 1. As you can see, the relationship is linear over the range of values plotted,
for this example.
The parameters of the linear best fit line through the highlighted data, are given at the
bottom of the plot. The parameter alpha is the y-intercept and beta is the slope of the line.
In this case:
Friction angle = -0.58 *cohesion + 18.2
You could use this equation to determine values of cohesion and friction angle over this
range of values. You can also do this graphically with the sampler. If you right-click on the
plot and select Sampler > Edit Sampler, you can graphically drag the sampler along the line
with the mouse, and the coordinates (cohesion, phi) will be displayed interactively, as
before.
Any pair of cohesion, friction angle values which fall on this line, should give you a safety
factor of about 1. For example: using the sampler we can determine that the data pair of
cohesion = 2 and friction angle = 17 falls on this line. If you input this data as the strength of
the weak layer and re-run the analysis, you will see that the safety factor does indeed = 1.
Although the relationship is linear in this example, this will not always necessarily be the
case. Depending on the range of values, variables plotted and the nature of your model, a
scatter plot might exhibit any type of functional relationship between two variables.
The above procedure can be used for any range of safety factor. For example, if you wanted
to find values of cohesion and friction angle corresponding to some other value of safety
factor, simply define a small range which brackets the safety factor (e.g. 1.19 to 1.21) using
the Highlight Data option in the Scatter plot dialog.
Export to Excel
If you wish to do further processing of data using other applications, you can easily export
data to Excel. For example, right-click on the Scatter plot and select Plot in Excel from the
popup menu, and the graph and data will automatically be exported to Excel.
Back Analysis of Other Variables

In this tutorial we have only looked at back analysis of material strength parameters, in
particular, cohesion and friction angle of a Mohr-Coulomb material. In Slide nearly all input
variables can be defined for use in a sensitivity or probabilistic analysis. The procedures
described in this tutorial could be applied to other strength parameters and strength
models (e.g. Hoek-Brown or anisotropic materials) or to any other random input parameter
in Slide (e.g. support properties). The user is encouraged to experiment with the options
available.
This concludes the back analysis of material properties tutorial.

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Tutorial 24 Multi Scenario Modeling
• Multi scenario model
• Groups
• Master scenario
• Synchronize views
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 24: Multi Scenario Modeling
Introduction
One of the most important modeling features in Slide 2018 is Multi Scenario modeling. This
allows you to create, edit and analyze multiple variations of a Slide model, all within a single
document file. All scenarios can be saved and computed together with a single mouse click.
This tutorial will describe how the option works and demonstrate some examples of how it
may be used.
Multi Scenario
The Scenarios option is accessed through the Project Settings dialog.
There are two options: Single Scenario and Multiple Scenario. The default selection is
Multiple Scenario mode.
Single Scenario
Single Scenario modeling simply means that your Slide file consists of a single model. This is
exactly equivalent to the method in older versions of Slide (version 6.0 and earlier). In this
case, your Slide file has one set of input parameters with constant boundary geometry. If
you wish to analyze different input parameters or geometry, a new model must be created
and computed for each change in input. If you read in a Slide file created in version 6.0 (or
earlier), the file will automatically open as a Single Scenario mode file.
24 - 2
Single scenario modeling has been maintained for backward compatibility with older Slide
files, and for users who may not need to use multi scenario models.
Multi Scenario Modeling

Multi Scenario modeling is a very flexible and powerful modeling option introduced in Slide
version 7.0 and improved in Slide 2018. It allows you to create and analyze multiple
variations of a Slide model, within a single document file, which can be saved and computed
with a single click.
Document Viewer
When you enable Multiple Scenarios, the first thing you will notice is the Document Viewer
pane which appears in the sidebar.
Groups and Scenarios

There are three “levels” within the Multi Scenario option:
1. Group
2. Master Scenario
3. Additional Scenarios
By default, when you initially start a file, one Group containing one Master Scenario will
automatically be created. The definition of Group and Scenario is as follows:
• Group – a Group consists of a Master Scenario and any number of additional
scenarios. By definition, all Scenarios in a Group have the same boundaries (e.g.
External and Material boundaries). If you edit the boundaries for one scenario, the
edits will automatically propagate to all scenarios in the same Group.
• Master Scenario - a Group always contains at least one scenario, the Master
Scenario. Any edits to the Master Scenario are automatically propagated to all other
24 - 3
scenarios in the Group. This includes ALL editing, not just boundaries. That is the
primary purpose of the Master Scenario.
• Scenario – additional Scenarios in a Group, allow you to change input parameters
for individual Scenarios (e.g. material assignments, groundwater, support, search
methods) while maintaining constant geometry within a particular Group.
Other properties of Groups and Scenarios:

• There is no limit to the number of Groups or Scenarios. You can create any number
of Scenarios per Group, and any number of Groups.
• Remember that each Scenario is really a separate Slide model.
• Groups allow you to group together multiple models (scenarios) that have the same
boundaries or other common input parameter(s).
New groups or scenarios can be easily created, copied and edited as required. This is all
done within the umbrella of a single (compressed zip) document which can be edited, saved
and computed as a single file (file extension *.slmd).
24 - 4
Model
Select File > Recent > Tutorials and open the file Tutorial 24 – starting file.slmd. You should
see the following:
In the sidebar document viewer, notice that the model consists of one scenario – the
Master Scenario file in Group 1.
Add Scenario
Let’s add a new scenario. We will do this with a right-click shortcut. Right-click on Group 1 –
Master Scenario, and select Add Scenario from the popup menu.
This will create Scenario 2, which is a copy of the Master Scenario. Select Save to save the
file.
24 - 5
NOTE: when working with multi scenario files, it is recommended to save files frequently,
while editing. This helps to ensure that changes to the files are synchronized.
Let’s rename the Group and Scenario. Right-click on Group 1 and select Edit Properties
from the popup menu. In the Group & Scenario Properties dialog, click on the Group name
at the left of the dialog, and rename the group “Slope Angle 41 degrees”. NOTE: the Master
Scenario name cannot be changed.
While still in this dialog, click on Scenario 2 at the left of the dialog, and rename the
scenario “No Seismic”. Select OK in the dialog.
Now let’s create one more scenario using the Duplicate option.
24 - 6
Duplicate Scenario
New scenarios can also be created with the Duplicate option.
To create new scenarios, we usually start with an existing scenario and make a copy.
Creating a copy of an existing scenario is very simple. Right-click on the “No Seismic”
scenario in the Document Viewer pane, and select Duplicate Scenario from the popup
menu.
You should see a new scenario with the default name Scenario 3 in the Document Viewer.
Select save to save the file. Right-click on “Scenario 3” in the Document Viewer pane, select
Rename from the popup menu. Name the scenario “Seismic = 0.1”, as shown below. Select
OK in the dialog.
We will now edit the new scenario as described below.
24 - 7
Scenario Tabs
When you create multiple scenarios, notice that tabs will automatically be created at the
lower left corner of the view, so that you may easily switch between different scenarios by
selecting the tabs. This is illustrated below.
You may switch between different scenarios by selecting the tabs, or by selecting the
scenario name from the document viewer pane in the sidebar.
Add Seismic Load

At this point, all three scenarios are identical (the Master Scenario and the two additional
scenarios). We will add a seismic load to the third scenario.
First make sure you have selected the correct scenario – to select a scenario, you can:
• click on the scenario name in the Document Viewer pane, or
• click on the scenario tab at the bottom of the screen, or
• click directly in the desired scenario view (when views are tiled)
Select the Seismic = 0.1 scenario.
Select Seismic Load from the Loading menu.
Select: Loading → Seismic Load
In the Seismic Load dialog, enter a Horizontal coefficient = 0.1. Select OK. This applies a
simple pseudo-static load coefficient to the entire model.
Now tile the scenarios.

Notice the Seismic icon which appears in the upper right corner of the Seismic = 0.1
scenario. The icon indicates the direction and magnitude of the applied seismic load
coefficient.
24 - 8
So we now have two scenarios created plus the Master Scenario. All models are identical,
except that one scenario has a pseudo-static seismic load coefficient = 0.1 applied, and the
other scenario has no seismic load applied.
Save
Before you analyze your model, save it as a file called Tutorial 24.slmd. (Slide multi-scenario
model files have a .slmd filename extension).
NOTE: when you select Save for a Multi Scenario file, ALL (unsaved) scenarios will
automatically be saved.
Compute
You are now ready to run the analysis.
When you compute a multi-scenario model, you will first see a dialog which allows you to
choose which scenarios are computed.
24 - 9
Since the No Seismic scenario is a copy of the Master Scenario, it is not necessary to
compute the Master Scenario for this example. Turn OFF the checkbox for the Master
Scenario.
Make sure that the other two scenario checkboxes are selected, and select OK to Compute.
When the analysis is completed, you are ready to view the results in Interpret.
Interpret
This will start the Slide Interpret program.
Tile the two scenario views, zoom all (or press F2) in each view, and hide the legend in each
view. You should see the Bishop analysis global minimum for each scenario, as shown
below.
24 - 10
Notice that the Factor of Safety = 1.185 (with no seismic load) and 1.001 with the seismic
coefficient of 0.1 applied. Also note, the search method used was the Auto Refine method
for circular surfaces.
Synchronize Views
In the Interpret sidebar, select the Synchronize Views button.
You will see a dialog which allows you to synchronize various viewing options when you
have multiple views open.
Select the Sync Method checkbox, and select Done. The “Method” refers to the limit
equilibrium analysis methods which have been computed.
Select different analysis methods from the drop-list in the toolbar (e.g. Janbu, Spencer,
GLE), and note that the corresponding Global Minimum slip surface is updated for BOTH
scenarios. This is very useful and saves you the trouble of having to set viewing options in
each individual view.
24 - 11
GLE results displayed for both scenarios using Synchronize Views.
Model
Return to the Slide Model program, and we will demonstrate how to use the Multi Scenario
option to analyze different model geometries, by creating another Group.
Duplicate Group
In the Document Viewer pane, right-click on the Slope Angle 41 degrees group, and select
Duplicate Group from the popup menu.
This will create a new group of two scenarios, identical to the original group.
24 - 12
For the new group, we want to modify the slope angle. We will use the Change Slope Angle
option.
24 - 13
Change Slope Angle

First make sure you have selected one of the two scenarios in the new group (it doesn’t
matter which one). Use the document viewer or the tabs at the bottom of the screen.
If necessary press F2 to Zoom All.
Select: Boundaries → Change Slope Angle
• You will be prompted to pick the vertex at the toe of the slope. Click on the vertex
at (30, 40).
• You will be prompted to pick the vertex at the crest of the slope. Click on the vertex
at (122, 120).
• In the Change Slope dialog, choose the Project Horizontally option, use a Rotation
Angle of 5 degrees and choose Clockwise. Select OK.
You should see the overall slope angle decreased by 5 degrees, as shown below.
NOTE: when you change the geometry for one scenario, the geometry change will
AUTOMATICALLY PROPAGATE TO ALL OTHER SCENARIOS IN THE SAME GROUP. Verify this
by selecting the other scenario in the new group, and you will see that the slope angle has
been modified for both scenarios.
24 - 14
In the Document Viewer pane, right-click on the Group 2 name, select Rename from the
popup menu, and change the name to Slope Angle 36 degrees.
Now tile the views, and select Zoom All or F2 in each view.
Multi scenario file with 2 groups and 4 scenarios
24 - 15
As you can see, the Multi Scenario file now contains 4 different scenarios (models):
• The 41 degree overall slope, with and without seismic load
• The 36 degree overall slope, with and without seismic load.
Select Save to save all scenarios.
Compute
When you select Compute, notice that only the newly created scenarios require computing,
since we did not make any changes to the original group/scenarios.
Make sure the checkboxes are selected for the new group/scenarios, and select OK.
24 - 16
Interpret
In Interpret, tile the views. You should see the Bishop results for all 4 scenarios.
Select Synchronize Views, and select the checkboxes for Zoom/Pan and Methods.
Use Zoom and Pan and notice that all views are zoomed/panned together.
Change the analysis method (e.g. Janbu, Spencer) and notice that the results are changed
for all scenarios.
24 - 17
Summary
That concludes this introduction to the Multi Scenario modeling option.
You are encouraged to experiment with the capabilities of this feature. The simple example
presented here is just a small demonstration of the potential uses of the option.
Just remember:
• Groups allow you to change the model geometry between different groups.
• Scenarios allow you to change nearly any input parameters (e.g. material
properties, search methods, loading, groundwater), while maintaining constant
geometry for all scenarios within a group.
• Groups also allow you to create groupings based on any other input parameters,
not necessarily geometry.
Soil Profile Option + Multi Scenario

The Soil Profile option, discussed in Tutorial 25, is most useful in conjunction with the Multi
Scenario option, since it allows you to test different different model geometries while
maintaining constant Soil Profile boundaries. See Tutorial 25 for more information.
24 - 18
Tutorial 25 Soil Profile Option
• Soil Profile Boundaries
• Profile Extents
• Assign materials & excavation
• Multi Scenario Modeling
• Profile from Boreholes
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 25: Soil Profile Option
Introduction
The Soil Profile option is an extension of geometry modeling capabilities in Slide. It allows
you to define a master profile of your material boundaries (e.g. geological or soil profile)
and ground surface. The profile is then used as a base template, over which you can use the
regular boundary options (e.g. Add External, Add Material) to superimpose different slope
geometries (e.g. cut back a slope).
Soil profile boundaries (left) and slope external boundary (right) superimposed on profile
The general procedure to use the Soil Profile option is as follows:
1. Project Settings - First enable the Soil Profile checkbox in the Project Settings
dialog.
2. Profile Mode - a Profile workflow tab will appear, and the soil profile modeling
options (e.g. Add Soil Profile Boundary, Borehole Editor) will be enabled in the
menus and toolbar. NOTE: to define or edit the Soil Profile, the Profile tab must
always be selected. The Soil Profile Mode can also be selected from the Analysis
menu.
3. Profile Extents - in the sidebar at the left of the screen, a Profile Extents input
option will appear. This allows you to input the limits (left, right, top, bottom) of the
Soil Profile region you wish to define. Input the desired limits, and the
corresponding rectangular region will be highlighted by a dotted line.
4. Profile Boundaries - you must then define the Soil Profile Boundaries. There are
two methods of doing this:
• Boundaries can be explicitly defined using the Add Soil Profile Boundary
option.
• Boundaries can be interpolated from borehole data using the Borehole
Editor dialog.
Profile boundaries can represent material boundaries, the ground surface or other
boundaries.
5. Assign Material Properties - material properties can then be assigned to the

regions defined by the profile boundaries. Properties can be assigned from the
right-click shortcut menu or with the Assign Properties dialog.
6. Excavation Assignment - if you need to define excavated regions of the profile (e.g.
above the ground surface and below the upper Profile Extent), this can also be
assigned using the right-click assign shortcut.
25 - 2
7. External Boundary - when your profile boundaries and material assignments are
completed, you can move on to the Geometry workflow tab, to define the External
Boundary of the slope you wish to analyze. There are TWO options for adding an
External Boundary, when you are using the Soil Profile option:
• The external boundary can be entered as a user-defined polyline, OR
• The external boundary can be initially defined with a rectangular window,
which is then used to "clip" the desired region of the profile, and the
external boundary will be automatically generated from the clipped region.
In general, the External boundary should be contained within (or overlap) the
Profile boundaries / extents, and should not be larger than the Profile Extents.
8. Material Boundaries - you can define additional material boundaries, if necessary,

while you are in Geometry mode. It is important to note that Soil Profile boundaries
(defined in Profile mode) and Material Boundaries (defined in Geometry mode) are
independent modeling entities, even though they may both be used to represent
material or other types of model boundaries.
In general, you should always be aware of which modeling "mode" you are in (Profile or
Geometry), as this will affect the available modeling and editing options.
Why Use a Soil Profile?

The Soil Profile option may be very useful for some modeling situations, and not useful or
applicable for other modeling situations. Here are some guidelines:
• The Soil Profile option should be most useful for models with relatively complex
material layering, over which you would like to define several different slope
excavation scenarios. For example, an open pit mine with several material layers,
which is to be excavated or cut back in stages. The profile boundaries will remain
constant, while you can define different slope boundaries (i.e. external boundary)
over the profile.
• The Soil Profile option may not be useful for simple models, where the layering is
simple and / or final geometry is fixed. In such cases it is probably easier to define
the entire model in Geometry mode, rather than first defining profile boundaries.
Soil Profile + Multi Scenario Modeling

In general, it is helpful to use a Soil Profile in conjunction with Multi Scenario modeling,
because the Multi Scenario option allows you to test different slope geometries by defining
multiple models and changing the slope geometry for each model.
However, the Soil Profile option does NOT require use of the Multi Scenario modeling
feature of Slide, and can be used independently.
25 - 3
Model
We will now demonstrate the use of the Soil Profile option using a simple example.
Project Settings
Turn on the Soil Profile option in Project Settings.

Select the Soil Profile page, and select the Use Soil Profile checkbox. Select OK.
Profile Mode
Notice that a Profile workflow tab now appears at the left of the tabs.
In order to define or edit the Profile extents and boundaries, the Profile tab must be
selected.
25 - 4
Profile Extents
The Profile Extents define a rectangular region which defines the limits of the profile
boundaries you wish to define. The Profile Extents are entered in the sidebar at the left of
the screen, and can only be entered when you are in Profile Mode.
For this example, enter the following Profile Extents.
Notice that the Profile Extents are displayed as a rectangular dotted line in the model view.
Profile Boundaries
Now let’s define the Profile Boundaries. Profile boundaries can represent material
boundaries, the ground surface or other boundaries. There are two possible ways of
defining the profile boundaries.
• Boundaries can be explicitly defined using the Add Soil Profile Boundary option.
• Boundaries can be interpolated from borehole data using the Borehole Editor
dialog.
We will use the first method. Select Add Soil Profile Boundary from the toolbar or the
Boundaries menu.
Select: Boundaries → Add Soil Profile Boundary

Enter the coordinates (0, -40) and (100, -30) and press Enter.
Let’s add three more profile boundaries.



Enter the coordinates (0, -10) and (100, 0) and press Enter.
25 - 5
Assign Materials
Now let’s assign materials to the regions created by the profile boundaries.
• Right-click the mouse between the first and second profile boundaries (from the
top) and select Assign > Material 2 from the popup menu.
• Right-click the mouse between the second and third profile boundaries (from the
• Right-click the mouse between the third and fourth profile boundaries (from the
The model should look as follows.
Assign Excavation
You can also excavate regions at the top of the profile, to define a ground surface. Let’s do
that now.
• Right-click the mouse in the triangular region at the top of the soil profile, and
select Assign Materials > Excavate.
The soil profile should look as follows.
25 - 6
Define Materials
Now let’s define the material properties. To keep things simple, we will make the lower
layers stronger by defining a high cohesion value, and the upper layers will have lower
strength properties.
Select Define Materials from the toolbar or the Properties menu.

Enter only the following properties (leave other values at their defaults):
• For Material 1 enter Cohesion = 50 kPa Phi = 35

• For Material 3 (weak layer) enter Cohesion = 5 and Phi = 25
Define Geometry
Now select the Geometry workflow tab, and we will define the External boundary for the
model. Notice that as soon as you select the Geometry tab, the Profile boundaries and
materials are displayed in a semi-transparent shade, since you are no longer in Profile
mode.

When you are using the Soil Profile option, and you select Add External Boundary, you will
first see a dialog which gives you two methods of Adding the external boundary. We will use
the first method. Select the Add External as Polyline option.
25 - 7
Enter the following coordinates for the External Boundary:
0, -50
100, -50
100, -5
60, -5
35, -20
0, -20
Press Enter. The slope model should look as follows. As you can see, the Soil Profile
boundaries are “cropped” by the External Boundary.
25 - 8
Surfaces
For the slip surface search, we will use the Auto Refine Search Method for Circular Slip
surfaces.

Choose the Auto Refine Search method and select OK.
Save the file as Tutorial 25.slmd.
View the results in Interpret.
Interpret
The Global Minimum (Bishop) safety factor is 1.287. The circular surface goes through the
toe of the slope and the weak layer.
Turn on the All Surfaces option to view all slip surfaces generated by the Auto Refine search.
25 - 9
Now we will demonstrate how you can use the Soil Profile option, in conjunction with the
Multi Scenario modeling option, to analyze different slope geometries while maintaining a
constant soil profile. Return to the Slide model program.
Model
Change the name of Group 1 to Slope Angle 31 Degrees.
Duplicate the Slope Angle 31 Degrees Group and name the new group Slope Angle 45
Degrees.
Change Slope Angle

Make sure Slope Angle 45 degrees is the selected view.
Let’s change the slope angle.
1. Right-click the mouse on the vertex at the toe of the slope.

2. Select Move To from the popup menu.
3. Notice that the Soil Profile becomes visible, and as you move the mouse, the
external boundary vertex will interactively follow the mouse position, as shown
below.
4. Rather than entering the point graphically, enter the exact coordinates (45, -20) in
the prompt line.
Tile the views.
You have now created two models which are identical, except for the slope angle, using the
Soil Profile option in conjunction with the Multi Scenario option.
25 - 10
Compute
Select Compute.
In the multi scenario Compute dialog, make sure both scenario checkboxes are selected.
Select OK to run the analysis.
Interpret
Both scenario models are automatically opened in Interpret. Select the Slope Angle 45
degrees scenario view.
The Global Minimum circular slip surface has a Factor of Safety = 0.904, so increasing the
slope angle has caused the slope to become unstable.
Summary
The simple example shown here was for the purpose of demonstrating the modeling
procedure when using the Soil Profile option.
It is important to note that you may create much more complicated soil profile boundaries
and slope geometry, using all of the modeling and editing capabilities of Slide. In fact the
Soil Profile option is most useful when working with complicated boundaries, since it can
save a great deal of modeling effort.
Furthermore, soil profile boundaries can be easily edited using the same editing options
used for other geometry, although you must be in Profile mode to edit Profile boundaries.
When you edit the soil profile boundaries, all associated models will be accordingly updated
(e.g. if you are using the Multi Scenario option).
Soil Profile + Multi Scenario

The Soil Profile option is most useful when used in conjunction with Multi Scenario
modeling. When you use Soil Profile + Multi Scenario modeling, this creates a three level
modeling hierarchy as follows:
25 - 11
1. The Soil Profile is constant for ALL groups/scenarios. If the Profile is edited, the
changes will propagate to all scenarios in all groups.
2. The External boundary is constant for EACH group, but can vary between groups. If
the external boundary is edited, it will propagate to all scenarios within that group.
3. All other input can be modified individually for EACH scenario.
Also note:
• The material properties database is common to all groups/scenarios.

• Any number of groups and/or scenarios can be defined.
• Each group will always have at least one scenario.
25 - 12
Soil Profile from Borehole Data

Soil Profile boundaries can also be created from borehole measurements of material layers.
We will read in a file to demonstrate this option.
Select File > Recent Folders > Tutorials folder, and open the file Tutorial 25 Profile from
Boreholes.slim.
You should see the following model:
Since you are in Geometry mode, the profile boundaries and material assignments are
displayed in a transparent shade. Select the Profile workflow tab to enable editing of the
soil profile.
Select the Borehole Editor option from the toolbar or the Profile menu.
Select: Profile → Borehole Editor

25 - 13
In the Edit Boreholes dialog, note the following:
• In this example, FOUR boreholes have been defined. Click on the list at the left of
the dialog, to see the input for each borehole.
• Boreholes are assumed to be VERTICAL.
• Material layers can be defined by thickness or elevation.
In the dialog, click on the settings button to view the interpolation settings. Notice
that the default interpolation method is Linear.
Change the Interpolation Method to Thin Plate Spline. Select OK in both dialogs. The
interpolated boundaries are now smooth (instead of linear) due to the spline curve fit of the
borehole data.
25 - 14
Thin plate spline curve fit of borehole data.
Return to the Borehole Editor dialog, and select the Settings button again.
Turn OFF the checkbox for Interpolate Top Surface. Select OK in both dialogs.
The model should look as follows:
25 - 15
Notice that there is no longer a profile boundary through the top of each borehole, and the
upper material assignment extends to the upper profile extent.
This allows you to define a ground surface using the Add Soil Profile Boundary option,
rather than having the ground surface automatically interpolated.
Editing Interpolated Profile Boundaries

It is important to note that you cannot directly edit soil profile boundaries which have been
interpolated from borehole data. You can only change the interpolation settings.
However, you can add additional boundaries using the Add Soil Profile Boundary option, if
you need to modify or adjust the material regions, after defining the boreholes.
You are encouraged to experiment with the Borehole options to become familiar with the
capabilities of this option.
Summary
Whether you define profile boundaries explicitly using the Add Soil Profile Boundary option,
or by interpolation of borehole data, or some combination of both options, the modeling
procedure AFTER defining the Soil Profile is the same in either case. You must define an
external boundary in Geometry mode, and proceed as described earlier in this tutorial.
25 - 16
Tutorial 26 Sarma Analysis Method
• Sarma Method – vertical slices
• Sarma Method – non-vertical slices
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 26: Sarma Analysis Method
Introduction
This tutorial introduces the Sarma approach.
The Sarma method satisfies all conditions of equilibrium. For each slice, horizontal and
vertical force equilibrium and moment equilibrium are satisfied. The method can be applied
to any shape of slip surface, and vertical or inclined slices can be used.
This tutorial will demonstrate the optimized slice angle option, where the critical set of slice
angles is found by the program, constrained by the fact that slices cannot cross one
another.
Vertical Slices
From Slide, open the tutorial file. Go to File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder and select
the Tutorial 26 Sarma Non-Vertical Slices initial.slmd file.
For the first set of analyses we’ll look at vertical slices. Open the Project Settings, go to the
Methods page, and make sure that the GLE/Morgenstern-Price, Spencer, and Sarma
methods are selected. The dialog should appear as shown below.
26 - 2
Results
Run the analysis and open Interpret. All three methods yield similar Factor of Safety results.
The results for the Sarma vertical slice analysis should appear as shown below. Use the
Query > Show Slices menu option to turn on the slice view.
Results for Sarma vertical slice analysis
26 - 3
Non-Vertical Slices – Sarma Method

Go back to the Slide modeler. Right-click on the group and select Add Scenario. Do this
twice. Right click-again and select Rename. Rename the first scenario “Vertical Slices” and
the second scenario “Non-Vertical Slices.” Click on the Non-Vertical Slices scenario and open
the Project Settings. In the Methods page, select the Sarma Non-Vertical Slices option.
Leave the other inputs as the default values, and the dialog should appear as below.
26 - 4
Results
Run the analysis and open Interpret. Click on the Non-Vertical Slices scenario.
Select Query > Show Slices. The results should appear as shown below.
Results for Sarma non-vertical slice analysis

If you select Query > Query Slice Data you can click on individual slices to view the slice
data.
26 - 5
Detailed slice forces for Sarma non-vertical slices
Sarma Analysis Options

Go back to the Slide modeler and open the Methods page in Project Settings.
For the Sarma Non-Vertical Slice Method you can change the convergence options, similar
to the Vertical Slice methods. You can also modify the Slice Angle calculation and interslice
strength options.
For the Slice Angles, the default option is Optimized by Global Mininum (i.e. slice angles are
only optimized for the Global Minimum slip surface). You can also optimize for All Surfaces.
The user-defined slice angle methods are Bisection, Weighted Normal Average, and Vertical.
For more information on the Sarma analysis options, see the Slide Help system (Slide Model
> Project Settings > Methods > Sarma Non-Vertical Slice Method).
26 - 6
Tutorial 27 Statistical Correlation of Materials
• Anisotropic Linear Strength Model
• Probabilistic Analysis
• Equating Materials
• Correlating Materials
• Scatter Plots
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 27: Statistical Correlation of Material Properties
Introduction
This tutorial will demonstrate the advanced statistical correlation options in Slide, which
allow you to equate or correlate material properties between different materials in a Slide
This is particularly important when modeling anisotropic material properties in a

At the end of the tutorial, we will compare the results to the Anisotropic Surface option.
Model
Start the Slide model program. Select File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder, or use the
dropdown arrow on the Open toolbar button to choose the Tutorials folder.
Select the Tutorial 27 initial.slmd file.
Open the Project Settings dialog and click on the Statistics tab. Notice that in this example
we will be running a Probabilistic Analysis with Latin-Hypercube sampling and 10 000
samples. This means that 10 000 trials will be generated, and our random variables will have
a different sampled value in each trial. We will use the Global Minimum Analysis type, such
that the slip surface from the deterministic analysis will be used for each trial. Click Cancel.
Material Properties
The geometry has already been set-up in this tutorial. Select Define Materials from the
toolbar or the Properties menu. We will keep the pre-defined values of Material 1.
The pre-defined gray material boundaries in our model will represent an anisotropic
material, with linear bedding. This is based on the Mohr-Coulomb criterion, and assumes
that the minimum shear strength occurs in the direction of the bedding planes. This means
that the cohesion and friction angle will be the same for the three areas, but the angle of
bedding plane orientation (theta) from the horizontal will be different in each case. As such
the anisotropic material will be defined with three sub-materials materials: Sub A, Sub B,
and Sub C.
Click on material Sub A on the left panel. The material properties have already been
defined, and the Strength Type is Anisotropic Linear, as shown. Sub A, Sub B, and Sub C are
identical.
27 - 2
For more information on what each parameter represents, click on the question mark at the
top right corner of the dialog to go to the Anisotropic Linear Online Help topic.
We will now modify the angle of bedding plane orientation. Click on Sub B and change the
angle from -12 to -25 degrees. Click on Sub C and change the angle to -2 degrees. Click OK
to close the Material Properties dialog.
Right-click on the first anisotropic region and select Assign Material > Sub A. Similarly,
define the second and third anisotropic regions as Sub B and Sub C, respectively. Your
model should look as follows:
27 - 3
Material Statistics
Select Statistics > Materials from the menu. Click the Show All button. Notice that the
random variable parameters have already been defined for our materials. All parameters
follow a normal distribution.
Click OK and Select Cancel in the Material Statistics dialog. Click the Compute button to run
the analysis. Select Interpret to view the results.
27 - 4
Results
We can see that the probability of failure for our Probabilistic Analysis is 13.33%. This
indicates that the slope failed in 1333 of the 10 000 trials.
We will now plot a scatter plot of the cohesion value in Sub A and Sub B. Select Statistics >
Scatter Plot or click on the Scatter Plot button in the toolbar.
Set the Horizontal Axis to Sub A: Cohesion and the Vertical Axis to Sub B: Cohesion, as
shown:
Select Plot. The scatter plot should look as shown:
27 - 5
It is important to understand the significance of this scatter plot. During the Probabilistic
Analysis, the cohesion and phi values used in each trial were sampled from the random
variable distributions defined previously. This means that in Trial 1 (for example) the
cohesion in Sub A may have had a value of 1 kPa, while the cohesion in Sub B may have had
a value of 19 kPa. Because Sub A, Sub B, and Sub C are the same material, this is clearly
something that would likely not occur in the field.
That is, although the cohesion may vary according to a normal distribution, the cohesion
values in all three sub-materials should be relatively similar in any given trial run.
To correct this, we need to correlate the random variables between the three sub-
materials. Return to the Slide modeler.
Equating Materials
Select Statistics > Materials from the toolbar. In the Material Statistics dialog, select the
Equate button at the bottom.
Select Add Group on the bottom left of the Equate Materials dialog.
Click the Select All button to select all three sub-materials, as shown:
27 - 6
Click Next. We want to equate cohesion, cohesion 2, phi, and phi 2 for all three sub-
materials. Click Select All and then Finish.
The Equate Materials Dialog should look as shown:
Click OK in the Equate Materials dialog, and the Material Statistics dialog.
Click the Compute button to run the analysis. Select Interpret to view the results.
As before, plot a scatter plot of Sub B Cohesion vs. Sub A Cohesion. The scatter plot will look
as shown:
27 - 7
As expected, the cohesion in Sub A and Sub B is equated. This means that if in Trial 1, say,
the cohesion sampled for Sub A is 10 kPa, the cohesion in Sub B (and Sub C) will also be 10
kPa, for that trial. Close the scatter plot view.
Notice that the probability of failure has now increased to 20.29%, almost double the
previous value. Now that the materials have been equalized, the lower strength cases,
where cohesion is 1 kPa in Sub A, for example, also means that the cohesion is 1 kPa in Sub
B and Sub C, resulting in an overall weaker anisotropic material. As such the slope is more
likely to fail.
This is perhaps an idealistic case, as field parameters will likely not be exactly equal in all
three sub-materials. We will now correlate the materials instead of equating them
completely. Return to the Slide modeler.
Correlating Materials
Select Statistics > Materials in the toolbar. Click on the Equate button and select “Delete
Group” to remove the equating of the sub-materials. Click OK.
Now select the Correlation button.
Click on Advanced Correlation, and select Add.
27 - 8
You will see two properties and a coefficient value. We will now correlate our parameters –
for this example we will use a correlation coefficient of 0.8.
Select Cancel in all dialogs. A Slide file with the pre-defined correlation coefficients can be
found in the tutorials folder of your installation folder. It is titled Tutorial 27 Advanced
Correlation.slmd.
Select Statistics > Materials > Correlation > Advanced Correlation. The Advanced Correlation
dialog should look as shown:
27 - 9
Click OK in the Advanced Correlation dialog, in the Correlation dialog, and in the Material
Statistics dialog.
Click the Compute button to run the analysis. Select Interpret to view the results.
In Interpret, plot a scatter plot of Sub B Cohesion vs. Sub A Cohesion as before. It will look
as shown:
We can see the effect of the 0.8 correlation coefficient between Sub A and Sub B cohesion.
This correlation is likely closer to the correlation values one could find in the field. Close the
scatter plot tab.
27 - 10
Notice the probability of failure has decreased to 19.72% from the previous case. This is
expected as we have reduced the correlation coefficient from 1.0 to 0.8.
It is important to note that failing to correlate the anisotropic material resulted in an

unconservative (low) probability of failure.
Summary
In conclusion, the Advanced Correlation options in Slide allow you to Equate or Correlate
material properties, to obtain more realistic results for a probabilistic analysis. You can
define correlation coefficients between almost any two variables, and between different
materials.
In this example we have only correlated cohesion and friction angle, but in general you may
define correlation coefficients between any two random variables, for any combination of
materials, using the options described in this tutorial.
Slide 2018 comes with the addition of the Anisotropic Surface option. This would allow the
three sub materials we defined to be defined with one material paired with an Anisotropic
Surface. See Tutorial 32 to run this model with an anisotropic surface.
27 - 11
Tutorial 28 Seismic Analysis
• Pseudo-static seismic loading
• Critical seismic coefficient (kc) analysis
• Newmark displacement analysis
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 28: Seismic Analysis
Introduction
This tutorial will demonstrate how to model a multi-material slope with seismic loading in a
multiple scenario model. We will demonstrate three different seismic analysis options
including displacement analysis using the Newmark method.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 28 Seismic Analysis.slmd
data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File > Recent
Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu.
Model 1 – No seismic loading

From the Slide main menu, select File → Recent Folders → Tutorials Folder and read in the
Tutorial 28 Seismic (initial).slmd file. This model is based on the non-homogeneous, three
layer slope found in Slide Verification Problem #4.
Notice the child scenario is named “No Seismic.” We will run this scenario first.
Material Properties
Let’s examine the material properties of the model. Select Define Material from the toolbar
or the Properties menu.
Click through the first three materials and review the properties defined.
Select Cancel to close the Define Material Properties dialog when finished.
28 - 2
Compute
Before you analyze your model, save it as a file called Seismic Tutorial.slmd.
Interpret
This will start the Slide Interpret program. You should see the following critical slip surface
with FS = 1.374.
Model 2 – Pseudostatic seismic loading

We will now duplicate the scenario, add a pseudostatic seismic load to the new model and
re-run the analysis to determine its effect on the Safety Factor.
In the Document Viewer, right-click on No Seismic and select Duplicate Scenario. Right-click
on this new scenario and select Rename. Enter Seismic = 0.15 as the scenario name. Click
Save and Close.
NOTE: since we created the second scenario by duplicating the first scenario, all settings in
the second scenario are initially the same as the first scenario by default. However, any
subsequent changes made to a scenario, will only apply to that scenario, unless Link
Scenarios is activated. Only changes made to the geometry (External Boundary and Material
Boundary) of one scenario or changes in the Master Scenario are automatically applied to
all scenarios within that group.
28 - 3
Pseudo-Static Seismic Load

In Slide, pseudo-static seismic loads can be applied in the horizontal and vertical directions
by specifying the corresponding Seismic load coefficient. The Seismic load coefficient is used
to determine the seismic force applied to the slope. Ensure you have clicked on the
Seismic=0.15 scenario.
Select: Loading → Seismic Load
In the dialog, enter a Horizontal Seismic load coefficient = 0.15. Notice that this value is
positive in the direction of failure. Select OK when finished.
We are now finished creating this scenario, and can proceed to run the analysis and
interpret the results.
Compute
Notice the scenario without results, Seismic = 0.15, is automatically selected to Compute.
Select OK. The Slide Compute engine will proceed in running the analysis. When completed,
you are ready to view the results in Interpret.
28 - 4
Interpret
This will start the Slide Interpret program. For the Seismic = 0.15 scenario, you should see
the following critical slip surface with FS = 0.992.
With the addition of horizontal seismic loading, the Global Minimum safety factor is now
0.992 compared to 1.374 before adding the seismic load. The seismic load has destabilized
the slope. You may find it useful to tile the views, to view the results of both scenarios
together. Minimize the master scenario to better compare.
28 - 5
Above the Document Viewer pane, select Synchronize Views. Select the “Sync Zoom/Pan for
all windows” checkbox. Select Done.
Once activated, this feature allows you apply the zoom and pan settings used in one
scenario across all scenarios. Use the Zoom options as necessary to achieve the desired
view of the slopes.
Model 3 – Critical seismic coefficient (kc) analysis

In this tutorial, we have so far considered the effect of a pseudostatic seismic load on the
minimum safety factor, by specifying a horizontal seismic load coefficient. In Slide, we can
also perform an advanced seismic analysis to determine the critical seismic coefficient (kc)
that results in a destabilized slope with FS = 1.
In the Document Viewer, right-click on No Seismic and select Duplicate Scenario. Rename
the scenario Critical Acceleration.
Project Settings
For the Critical Acceleration scenario we will change the Project Settings in order to
determine the critical seismic coefficient. Ensure you have this scenario selected.
Select the Seismic page from the list at the left of the dialog.
28 - 6
Select the “Advanced Seismic Analysis” checkbox. Notice that the “Compute Ky for all
failure surfaces” option is selected. This option must be selected in order to compute ky for
all failure surfaces. Select OK.
Compute
The new scenario, Critical Acceleration, is automatically selected to Compute. Select OK.
Interpret
You should see the following critical slip surface with the critical seismic coefficient
displayed (ky = 0.146).
28 - 7
Now select the All Surfaces option to view all circles generated by the analysis:
Let’s use the Filter Surfaces option, to display only surfaces with a critical seismic coefficient
(ky) below 0.15, the value we specified in the previous scenario Seismic = 0.15.
In the Filter Surfaces dialog, select the “Surfaces with a Ky below” option, enter a value of
0.15, and select Done.
As you can see, there are a number of unstable surfaces for this model, wherein a seismic
coefficient less than 0.15 would result in a destablized slope. This makes sense, since the
Global Minimum factor of safety for the Seismic = 0.15 scenario, is 0.992 (i.e. just below
one).
28 - 8
Model 4 – Newmark displacement analysis

We will now perform a Newmark displacement analysis to determine the critical Newmark
displacement that results from seismic loading.
Return to the Modeler. In the Document Viewer, right-click on the Critical Acceleration
scenario and select Duplicate Scenario. Rename it Newmark Displacement.
Project Settings
We will now change the Project Settings for the new scenario order to determine the
Newmark displacements.
Select the Seismic page from the list at the left of the dialog.
Notice that the “Advanced Seismic Analysis” checkbox is selected, as it was in the Critical
Acceleration scenario. This option must be selected in order to compute Newmark
displacements. The Newmark analysis in Slide is based on the program SLAMMER,
developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The permission to use the SLAMMER code by Dr.
Jibson and Dr. Rathje in Slide is gratefully acknowledged1.
Select Newmark Analysis Options and Define Seismic Record.
1
Reference: Jobson, R.W., Rathje, E.M., Jibson, M.W., and Lee, Y.W., 2013, SLAMMER – Seismic
Landslide Movement Modeled using Eatherquake Records (ver.1.1, November 2014): U.S. Geological
Survey Techniques and Methods, book 12, chap. B1, unpaged.
28 - 9
Notice that in Slide there are a number of ways the seismic record can be entered. Time and
acceleration data points can be manually entered into each cell or copied in from a table.
Alternatively, the seismic record can be imported from a Slammer or Slide (.ssr) file, or
chosen from a list of Example Records containing historical data from a selection of
earthquakes.
For this tutorial, we will use data from the Example Record of Mammoth Lakes-1 1980, CVK-
090 with a peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 0.416 g. Select Example Record and set
Earthquake = Mammoth Lakes-1 1980 and Record Name = CVK-090.
Notice that a summary of the Earthquake Properties, which includes the PGA and PGV of
the selected record, is displayed.
Select OK to close the Example Seismic Records dialog.
28 - 10
Notice that once the time and acceleration data points have been entered, an acceleration
vs. time plot is generated in the Define Seismic Record dialog.
Select OK to close the Define Seismic Record dialog when finished reviewing the seismic
record data.
In the Newmark Analysis dialog, notice the Newmark Analysis Type option. In Slide, we are
able to define the Newmark Analysis Type as either Rigid, Coupled, or Decoupled. We can
also run all three at once. Also, notice that the displacement can be computed by examining
the Positive Accelerations, Negative Accelerations, Mean Accelerations, or the Maximum
positive/negative accelerations of the seismic record. We can also run all these
displacement options at once.
For this tutorial, we will set Newmark Analysis Type = Rigid and Displacement computed
using = Maximum positive/negative acceleration.
Select OK to close the Newmark Analysis dialog.
Select OK in the Project Settings dialog.
Compute
28 - 11
Interpret
You should see the following critical slip surface with the critical Newmark displacement
displayed = 4.380 cm.

This allows us to view all the different scenarios at once.
This concludes the seismic analysis tutorial.
28 - 12
Tutorial 29 Tensile Strength Option
• Line of Thrust
• Tension Crack
• Tensile Strength Option
• Comparison with RS2
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 29: Tensile Strength Option
Introduction
This tutorial illustrates the Tensile Strength option in the Material Properties dialog. With
this option, the user does not have to manually define a tension crack. After defining a
tensile strength cutoff, the tension crack depth is automatically found.
The slope stability analysis is first carried out without using any tension crack. Then, the
effect of a manually-added tension crack is examined, followed by the tensile strength
option. The results are compared to an SSR analysis in RS2.
Model with No Tension Crack (Tensile Stress Allowed)

From the main menu select File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder. Open the file Tutorial
29 Tensile Strength (initial).slmd.
Material Properties
Select Define Materials from the toolbar or the Properties menu.
Notice that for all three materials, the Tensile Strength option is unchecked. This means
that, in this analysis, for 𝜎𝜎𝑛𝑛′ < 𝑐𝑐/ tan 𝜙𝜙, 𝜏𝜏 = 0.
Also note that the Upper Soil Layer has a high cohesion (95 kPa) and relatively low friction
angle (15 degrees).
When there are cohesive soils in the upper slope layers, this often leads to tensile forces
between slices or on the base of slices, in the limit equilibrium calculations. This usually
leads to incorrect safety factors, for the following reasons (Ref. 1):
• Most soils do not have significant tensile strength, therefore calculated tensile
stresses are unrealistic and inappropriate.
• When significant tension develops, this can cause numerical problems in the slope
stability calculations.
Results
Compute the file and open Interpret. You can see a factor of safety equal to about 2.6.
Go to the Query menu and choose Show Line of Thrust. The plot should look like this.
29 - 2
The thrust line gives the location of the resultant interslice forces, as mentioned in Tutorial
16 (see the Online Help for more information). The important thing to observe here is that
the thrust line extends outside of the sliding mass. This generally indicates that tension is
present.
Tutorial 16 goes into detail about viewing the force balance on each slice and looks at the
Query Slice Data option. We will not go into detail about this here. The key point is that
because of this tension, and the fact that it is not accounted for in the model, the factor of
safety is likely incorrect.
Model with Manual Tension Crack

Go back to the Slide modeler. To manually eliminate the tension, we’ll add a tension crack
zone. We’ll add the zone to the entire upper layer.
To add the tension crack, go to the Boundaries menu and select Add Tension Crack. Click on
the two points (10, 8) and (40, 8) that define the upper soil layer in order to define the
tension crack. By default, the Water Level of the tension crack is set to Filled. Go to the
Properties menu and select Define Tension Crack. Set the Water Level to Dry.
Results
Save the model, making sure to save it under a different name so that you don’t overwrite
the first file.
Compute the file and open Interpret. When you display the Line of Thrust, the results
should look like this:
29 - 3
This plot shows several key differences from the example with no tension crack:
• Where the failure surface intersects the tension crack boundary, a vertical tension
crack forms that extends to the ground surface.
• The line of thrust is completely inside the failure surface indicating that there is no
tension in the soil mass.
• The factor of safety has decreased to about 0.73.
Model with Tensile Strength = 0

Instead of introducing a tension crack, the local factor of safety on a slice can be adjusted so
that the effective normal stress is zero on the base of the slice. In this way, the tension crack
is automatically defined.
Go back to the Slide modeler. Delete the tension crack (right click on the tension crack and
select Delete Boundary). In this analysis we’ll look at the use of the Tensile Strength option
to automatically eliminate tensile forces.
Material Properties
Open the Material Properties dialog by selecting Define Materials from the Properties
menu.
For the Upper Soil, select the Tensile Strength checkbox, as shown below. Leave the Tensile
Strength at its default value of 0 kPa.
29 - 4
Results
Save the model, making sure to save it under a different name so that you don’t overwrite
the previous file.
Compute the file and open Interpret. The results should look like this, when you display the
line of thrust:
Note that the factor of safety is 0.73, the same as when the tension crack boundary was
used.
29 - 5
Comparison with RS2 Analysis

For the comparison with RS2, we’ll import the Slide file. Note that you’ll have to export it to
a single scenario file first.
When you import the file into RS2, you’ll get a warning message that the Undrained
F(depth) material model used in Slide is not available in RS2. To fix this, we’ll change the
material properties for the Lower Soil layer.
In the Define Material Properties dialog, change the Failure Type to Discrete Function.
Define the following function:
The mesh can also be refined. Run the analysis and open Interpret. You should see the
following results:
The Critical SRF of 0.76, is very similar to the factor of safety of 0.73 obtained from the Slide
analyses.
References
1. Duncan, J.M., Wright, S.G. and Brandon, T.L. “Soil Strength and Slope Stability”, 2nd
edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2014.
29 - 6
Tutorial 30 Analyzing Pile Resistance for Slope
Stabilization using RSPile
• Complex pile models imported from RSPile
• Axial and lateral pile resistance functions
• Multiple material slope with weak layer
• Non-circular slip surface
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 30: Analyzing Pile Resistance with RSPile
Introduction
This tutorial will demonstrate how to install a pile support into Slide, define the pile model
in RSPile and compute the pile resistance functions against sliding to be used for slope
stability analysis.
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 30 Analyzing Pile
Resistance using RSPile.slim data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide can be accessed
Pile Resistance for Slope Stability Analysis

For slope stability analysis using limit equilibrium methods, the soil displacement moving
along a slip surface against the pile can be used to compute the axial and lateral resistance
against sliding through the principles of superposition. An assumed soil displacement is
applied against the pile from the ground to the slip surface. The direction of the applied soil
displacement is tangent to the slip surface at the intersection of the pile. The axial and
lateral components of the applied displacement are used to compute the axial and lateral
resistances separately. The resultant pile resistance force at the slip surface intersection is
used to satisfy force equilibrium for the selected limit equilibrium method.
𝛿𝛿𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠
𝛿𝛿𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙
𝛿𝛿𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠,𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎
𝛿𝛿𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 𝛿𝛿𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠,𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎
The pile internal axial force at the sliding depth in response to the applied axial soil
displacement is the axial resistance against sliding for that particular slip surface. Similarly,
the internal shear force at the sliding depth in response to the applied lateral soil
displacement is the lateral resistance for that particular slip surface.
30 - 2
𝛿𝛿𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 𝛿𝛿𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠,𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝛿𝛿𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠
𝑉𝑉𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 𝑃𝑃𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 𝐹𝐹𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅,𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝
The pile resistance is dependent on the depth and angle of the slip surface since this will
affect the pile response from the applied displacement. As such, the pile resistance must be
computed at a number of points along the pile varying the depth and angle of applied
displacement at each point. Linear interpolation is used to obtain resistance values of
intermediate sliding depths. The user may specify the maximum allowable soil displacement
moving along any slip surface based on design tolerances to obtain the pile resistances.
Alternatively, an ultimate pile resistance can be obtained by increasing the assumed soil
displacement independently in the axial and lateral directions until the maximum
resistances are reached.
Sliding Depth of 10 m
The figure above illustrates a typical axial force and shear diagram along the pile depth for
an applied displacement from the ground to the sliding depth of 10 m. The axial force and
shear at a sliding depth of 10 m are the axial and lateral resistances respectively for one
tested sliding configuration.
30 - 3
RSPile
To compute the pile resistances using the methodology outlined above, the support
properties for installed pile supports in Slide are defined using the dedicated pile analysis
software RSPile. The software is capable of modelling complex pile models using the load
transfer curve method or better known as the p-y method for laterally loaded piles and the
t-z method for axially loaded piles.
The soil load transfer curves capture the non-linear soil-pile behavior by relating the soil
reaction forces to the soil displacement at each depth. Various recommended load transfer
curves are available in RSPile and are presented in the RSPile theory manual. For axially
loaded piles, the load transfer curves are known as t-z curves for soil skin friction and q-z
curves for soil end bearing resistance. For laterally loaded piles, the load transfer curves are
known as p-y curves for soil lateral resistance.
Model
Geometry
Start the Slide Model program. Select File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide
main menu, and open the Tutorial 30 Analyzing Pile Resistance using RSPile (initial).slmd
file.
You should see the following model.
The material properties for this model have been defined and two support elements have
been added. The support properties, though, have not yet been defined.
Support Properties
We will now define the pile support properties using the RSPile utility.

The Define Support Properties dialog should appear. Define the properties as shown.
30 - 4
RSPile
Now you will open the RSPile utility from the Define Support Properties dialog.
Select: Run the RSPile Utiltity
Alternatively, you can run the RSPile Model program by double-clicking on the RSPile icon in
your installation folder.
The finished product of the RSPile model file can be found in the Tutorial 30 Analyzing Pile
Resistance using RSPile.rspile data file. All tutorial files installed with Slide 7.0 can be
accessed by selecting File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder from the Slide main menu.
Model
You will see the RSPile splash screen. Since you are not analyzing the axial capacity for
driven piles, you do not need to use the Driven Pile Analysis mode. We will start by defining
the properties for a laterally loaded pile.
30 - 5
You should see the following default laterally loaded pile model.
Soil Properties for Laterally Loaded Piles

Now let’s define the material properties for a laterally loaded pile. Many of the pile model
properties can be defined on the left table view. You will begin by defining the soil material
properties located on the bottom left corner. You do not need to define the layer thickness
and soil unit weight because these values will be initialized according to the soil profile of
the installed pile support in Slide. As such, we can use one RSPile model file to define the
soil and pile properties for multiple piles of various embedment lengths and soil layer
configurations. To verify your results later in RSPile, you will define the unit weight as the
same value in RSPile and in Slide. If you are only intending to use the RSPile file as a support
property for Slide and will not use RSPile to do a stand-alone pile analysis, it is not necessary
to set the unit weight. Change the first layer to the following properties:
30 - 6
The unit weight entered in RSPile is the total unit weight whether the material is saturated
or unsaturated and is equal to the unit weight entered in Slide. If a groundwater table exists
in the model, the program will automatically calculate effective unit weight if the material is
below the groundwater table.
Define the second layer as follows:
A user defined material allows the user to enter the p-y curve that relates soil lateral reaction
force to the soil displacement. Click on Enter p-y curve.
The P-Y Curve dialog should appear. Enter the following values in the table.
Add a third layer using the Add Layer button in the Soil Layers List. Change the third layer to
the following properties:
30 - 7
You model should now appear as follows.
Soil Properties for Axially Loaded Piles

You can toggle between lateral and axial analysis modes using the toggle buttons.
Alternatively, you can toggle between modes using the Project Settings dialog.
change the analysis type to Axially Loaded Piles using the Axial Mode button.
Select: Axial Mode

You should see the following axially loaded pile model.
30 - 8
Notice that some soil properties common to laterally or axially loaded piles remain the
same as you toggle between modes. These properties include layer names, thicknesses and
colours. Other properties that may be common within one base type, such as friction angle
for any sand, are not copied between modes because the material models are different and
usually contain unique property values depending on the problem.
On the left table view, select Medium Sand from the Soil Layers List. Change the soil
properties to the following.
Select Dense Sand from the Soil Layers List. Change the soil properties to the following.
• Soil Type = User Defined
• Ultimate Unit Skin Friction = 150
• Ultimate End bearing Resistance = 0
Similarly to user defined material in laterally loaded piles, you must define the t-z curve that
relates soil skin friction to soil displacement. You do not have to define the Q-z curve for this
tutorial since it is assumed that this soil layer has no end bearing strength.
30 - 9
Select: Enter t-z curve

Enter the following t-z curve data.
Displacement (m) Stress to Max Stress Ratio

0 0
0.00028 0.4
0.000476 0.6
0.000561 0.675
0.000695 0.76
0.000854 0.83
0.0011 0.9
0.0014 0.935
0.00174 0.965
0.00195 0.972
0.00305 1
This is an example of a typical non-linear t-z curve based on empirical data. Select OK.
Select Soft Clay from the Soil Layers List. Change the soil properties to the following.
Pile Properties
You will now define the pile properties. Select Define Pile Properties from the top toolbar.
Select: Define Pile Properties
The Define Pile Properties dialog should appear. Enter the properties shown below.
30 - 10
Select OK.
In the table view on the left, you can quickly change the pile configuration in the Pile
Properties section by using the drop down menu for the pile name. We do not need to
change the embedment length because it will be defined in Slide.
Before you import the RSPile model into Slide, save it as a file called Tutorial 30.rspile.
(RSPile model files have a .rspile filename extension).

Importing RSPile model into Slide

Navigate back to the Slide modeler.
Now you will import the soil and pile properties specifically for the pile model. You can do
this from the Define Support Properties dialog. If it is not open, navigate back to the Define
30 - 11
Support Properties dialog.

In the RSPile File section, select Choose file to import the RSPile model you have just
created.
Locate the RSPile model file Tutorial 30.rspile. Select Open. The following Match Slide and
RSPile Materials dialog should appear.
30 - 12
Ensure that each material in Slide is matched with the same material in RSPile. Select OK.
You can always reassign the materials by selecting Match materials in the Define Support
Properties dialog.
In the Define Support Properties, you can also change which components of pile resistances
are considered in the analysis by changing the Resistance Type. Your analysis can consider
only axial resistance, only lateral resistance or both by changing the Resistance Type to
Axial, Lateral or Axial and Lateral respectively. For this tutorial, you will consider both axial
and lateral resistance.
Note that under the Soil Displacement section we have a choice between Maximum and
Ultimate modes. The Maximum mode assumes that a maximum allowable soil displacement
of 25 mm in the direction tangent to the tested slip surface is used to compute the axial and
lateral resistance against sliding. The Ultimate mode increases the applied soil displacement
in the axial and lateral direction until a maximum resistance is reached. In Slide, a uniform
soil displacement is applied from the ground surface to each of the tested slip surface
intersections to the pile. The magnitude of the applied displacement is constant with depth.
When using RSPile for a stand-alone pile analysis, the user may define more complex soil
displacement profiles to apply to the model. However, due to the variability of slip surfaces
that could intersect a pile in Slide, more complex soil displacement profiles cannot be
defined for a Slide analysis of imported RSPile files. We will use the default Maximum Soil
Displacement settings. Select OK.
30 - 13
Interpret
Pile Resistance
To view the pile resistance force, select Show Slices from the Query menu.
Select: Query → Show Slices
30 - 14
The pile resistance is indicated by the blue arrow with its origin located at the intersection
of the pile and slip surface. Notice that the direction of pile resistance is always opposite to
the direction of sliding although it may not always be tangent to the slip surface. Each slip
surface will have a different pile resistance depending on the depth and angle of
intersection.
This part of the tutorial is now complete.
Please continue if you would like to compare the results from Slide to an analysis done
completely in RSPile.
Otherwise, you can exit either program by selecting the following.
Verifying Pile Resistance using RSPile

You can verify the pile resistance results from Slide by using the same pile length and soil
layer configuration for the RSPile model. For this tutorial, we will be verifying the pile
resistance of the downslope, shorter pile.
The finished product of the RSPile model file for verification can be found in the Tutorial 30
Analyzing Pile Resistance using RSPile (Verification).rspile data file. All tutorial files
installed with Slide can be accessed by selecting File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder
from the Slide main menu.
Return to the RSPile Model program and open the Tutorial 30.rspile file if it is not already
open.
Soil Properties for Laterally Loaded Piles

Make sure you are in lateral mode to begin.
Select: Lateral Mode
30 - 15
In the table view, change the soil layer thicknesses to the following.
A warning should appear notifying you that since the pile length is longer than the sum of
all soil layer thicknesses, the pile embedment length will be shortened to this value. Select
OK. The pile embedment length should be automatically changed to 13 m, the total sum of
all layer thicknesses.
You will now duplicate materials to create the fourth and fifth layer to match the soil profile
of the pile in Slide.
Add a fourth layer using the Add Layer button in the Soil Layers List. Change the fourth layer
to the following properties:
• Name = Dense Sand

• Thickness of layer = 2
Again, enter the p-y curve that relates soil lateral reaction force to the soil displacement.
Deflection (m) Soil Resistance (kN/m)
0 0
0.001 300
0.02 1800
Add a fifth layer using the Add Layer button in the Soil Layers List. Change the fifth layer to
the following properties:
• Name = Medium Sand • Unit Weight = 18
• Thickness of layer = 6 • Friction Angle = 38
• Soil Type = Sand • Kpy = 16300
You can also match the colours of duplicate layers to indicate their relation to each other.
30 - 16
Soil Properties for Axially Loaded Piles

Change to axial mode to define the newly added layers for an axially loaded pile.
Select: Axial Mode

Change the fourth layer to the following properties:
• Name = Dense Sand

• Effective Unit Weight = 20
• Ultimate Unit Skin Friction = 150
• Ultimate End bearing Resistance = 0
Again, you must define the t-z curve that relates soil skin friction to soil displacement. Copy
the t-z curve input form the first dense sand material into this material.
Change the fifth layer to the following properties:
• Name = Medium Sand

• Soil Type = API Sand
• Effective Unit Weight = 18
• Friction Angle = 38
• Coefficient of Lateral Earth Pressure = 0.8
• Bearing Capacity Factor = 35
Pile Properties
On the left table view under Pile Properties, change the Pile Length to 21 m.
Pile Resistance
The maximum soil displacement entered into Slide to calculate pile resistance is 25 mm.
Since the critical slip surface intersects the pile at approximately 1.48 degrees to the
horizontal, the components of soil displacement for the axial and lateral direction are
0.65 mm and 24.99 mm respectively.
30 - 17
1.48 degrees
24.99 mm 25 mm
0.65 mm
In RSPile, you must compute the axial and lateral resistances separately in each mode and
the resultant pile resistance is the force shown in Slide.
Ensure that you are still in Axial Mode.
Select: Axial Mode
In the table view under Axial Soil Loading, select Show Axial Resistance Graph and change
the Max Allowable Axial Displacement to 0.65 mm.
The Number of Intervals defines the number of sliding depths that will be tested along the
pile length. By default, the Number of Intervals is 20. Since the pile has an embedment
length of 21 m, the pile will be loaded with the Max Allowable Axial Displacement of 0.65
mm from the ground surface to each sliding depth. The tested sliding depths begin at 0 m
and increase to 21 m by an increment of 1.05 m (21 m/20 intervals = 1.05 m).
The following Axial Resistance plot should appear.
30 - 18
The above plot is the axial resistance at each sliding depth along the pile. Since the slip
surface in the Slide model intersects the pile at approximately 12.40 m, you need to linearly
interpolate the resistance from the sliding depths of 11.55 m and 12.6 m. You can either
hover over these points in the plot to view the resistance values or export the data into
Excel. Allow a few seconds for the data to be fully exported to excel.
Select: Export to Excel
In the Axial Res vs. Sliding Depth tab, the resistance values corresponding to a sliding depth
of 11.55 m and 12.6 m are 328 kN and 331 kN respectively. The Interpolated axial resistance
at a sliding depth of 12.40 m is 330 kN. You now need to compute the lateral resistance to
find the resultant pile resistance. Change to Lateral Mode.
Select: Laterally Loaded Pile

In the table view under Lateral Soil Loading, select Show Lateral Resistance Graph and
change the Max Allowable Lateral Displacement to 24.99 mm.
The following Lateral Resistance plot should appear.
30 - 19
Select: Export to Excel

In the Lateral Res vs Sliding Depth tab, the resistance values corresponding to a sliding
depth of 11.55 m and 12.6 m are 396 kN and 480 kN respectively. The Interpolated lateral
resistance at a sliding depth of 12.40 m is 464 kN.
The resultant pile resistance from the axial and lateral resistance of 330 kN and 464 kN is
569 kN. Slide shows a value of 565 kN as shown below.
30 - 20
The discrepancies are due primarily to linear interpolation of the resistance at two
locations. In Slide, the resistance functions are constructed for the number of sliding depths
as set in RSPile and the soil displacement is varied at each sliding depth to account for the
unknown slip surface angle of intersection. First, linear interpolation must be done to
compute the resistance function for the exact component of soil displacement produced by
the slip surface based on the closest tested soil displacements. Secondly, linear
interpolation is done to compute the resistance for the exact sliding depth since the tested
sliding depths are unlikely to align exactly with the actual slip surface intersection with the
pile.
In RSPile, you have more control on the exact soil displacement and sliding depth since you
are verifying one known slip surface. However, repeating this resistance computation for
every slip surface would be rather tedious hence the necessity for an automated process in
Slide. Even with a relatively low Number of Intervals, the resultant pile resistance computed
in RSPile is within 1% of the value from Slide which is well within typically accepted
tolerances.
Before you exit RSPile, save this file as Tutorial 30 (verification).rspile.

That concludes this tutorial. To exit either program:

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Tutorial 31 Staged Embankment on Clay
• SHANSEP strength model
• Undrained loading
• Staged modeling
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 31: Staged Embankment on Clay
Introduction
The following analysis models the staged construction of an embankment on a clay
foundation. The clay foundation is modeled with the SHANSEP strength model. The two
layers of the embankment are modeled as Mohr-coulomb materials.
The SHANSEP model in Slide allows for the modeling of pore pressure dissipation in a clay
foundation due to the staged addition of multiple layers of embankment material. The user
must know for the current geometry configuration, the degree at which all the
embankment layers affect the vertical effective stress in the clay foundation. This means
the amount of pore pressure dissipation in the clay due to the time of existence of the
embankment layers will be taken into account. The vertical effective stress in a SHANSEP
material is important for the determination of shear strength, see the following help topic
for more information:
https://www.rocscience.com/help/slide/webhelp7/slide_model/materials/SHANSEP.htm
In the following example, an embankment is constructed in two lifts or layers, on a clay

foundation. The stability of the embankment is calculated immediately after construction of
the second top lift. Excess pore pressure increases in the clay between end of construction
of the first lift and end of construction of the second lift are due to the load transfer of the
entire weight of the second lift to pore pressure. As a result, there is no effective stress
increase in the clay due to the existence of the second lift. However, in the time taken to
complete the construction of the second lift, excess pore pressures due to construction of
the first lift have dissipated by 30% in the clay foundation. As a result, the effective stresses
in the clay increase due to a load transfer of 30% of the weight of the first layer.
Select File > Recent Folders > Tutorials Folder and read in the file Tutorial 31 Staged
Embankment on Clay - SHANSEP method.slmd .
Open the Define Material Properties dialog. Select the first material, the clay foundation.
Notice the Clay foundation material strength type is set to SHANSEP with the following
parameters.
31 - 2
Notice the Material dependent vertical stress option is turned on. This is how you define
how other materials in the model affect the vertical stress in the clay foundation. Press the
Define button. You will see the following dialog.
31 - 3
Notice the vertical stress factor for the first lift is 0.3. This means that 30% of the weight of
the first layer is transferred to a vertical stress increase in the clay foundation. Notice the
vertical stress factor for the second lift is 0.0. This means that the entire weight of the
second lift is transferred to an increase in excess pore pressure and that there is zero
increase in effective stress in the clay foundation due to the addition of the second lift.
Close the SHANSEP material dependent vertical stress dialog.
Select the embankment materials and notice they are set to Mohr-Coulomb materials.
Close the material properties dialog.
In the analysis, we will look at noncircular failure surfaces and use the Cuckoo Search
optimization method for locating the global minimum failure surface. We will be computing
the Spencer and GLE factors of safety.
Press the Compute button.
When the analysis is finished press the Interpret button.
Notice the factor of safety is around 1.13, see below.
This would be the short term factor of safety of the embankment immediately after
placement of the top lift.
Now go back to the Modeler. Change the factors in the Material dependent vertical stress
dialog to 0.8 for the first lift and 0.4 for the second lift. This means 80% dissipation of the
excess pore pressure due to lift 1 and 40% dissipation of excess pore pressure due to lift 2.
Exit the material properties dialog.
Save to a different filename and press Compute. When completed go to Interpret.
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Notice the factor of safety has increased to a value of around 1.5. See below.
Finally, let’s look at the long term factor of safety. Go back to the Slide modeler and go to
the material properties dialog. For the clay foundation, uncheck the material dependent
vertical stress option. This means that the entire weights of the two lifts act to increase the
effective vertical stress within the clay foundation. Save and run Compute.
The long term factor of safety is 1.57, see below. A considerable difference between the
short term value of 1.12 seen earlier.
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Tutorial 32 Anisotropic Surface
• Anisotropic Linear strength model
• Folded bedding
• Anisotropic surface option
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 32: Anisotropic Surface
Introduction
This tutorial demonstrates a new feature in Slide which makes it much easier to model
material layers with anisotropic (directional) strength properties, which are also curved or
folded. For such materials, you can now define a surface which follows the curvature of the
layer, and is used to determine the orientation of the anisotropy at any point within the
material. We refer to this as an anisotropic surface.
Anisotropic surface used to define orientation of anisotropy
The anisotropic surface allows Slide to determine the local orientation of anisotropy with
respect to any slip surface which passes through the material, so that the correct strength
properties are applied to a given slice base on the slip surface.
The anisotropic surface option can only be used with the following strength models in Slide:
• Anisotropic Linear
• Snowden Modified Anisotropic Linear
The surface must be assigned in the Define Materials dialog as shown below.
Assignment of anisotropic surface in Define Materials dialog

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Add Anisotropic Surface

For this tutorial, we will read in a starting file with all properties already defined except for
the anisotropic material.
From the Slide main menu, select File > Recent Folders > Tutorials and read in the file
Tutorial 32 Anisotropic Surface – starting file from the installation folder. You should see
the following.
The green material layer will be defined as an anisotropic material, with changing direction
of anisotropy defined by an anisotropic surface.
Select Add Anisotropic Surface from the toolbar or the Boundaries menu. Right-click and
select Coordinate Table from the popup menu. Enter the following coordinates in the
dialog. Select OK in the dialog, then right-click and select Done.
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You should see the following. The Anisotropic Surface is the pink line through the center of
the green material layer.
Anisotropic surface added to model
NOTE: an Anisotropic Surface is NOT a material boundary. It is an independent modeling

entity, and does NOT get intersected with the model boundaries or interact with other
model geometry.
Location of Anisotropic Surface

The exact location of the anisotropic surface is not critical, however it should be placed such
that it best represents the average orientation of the bedding throughout the material.
Typically an Anisotropic Surface should be defined near the "middle" of the corresponding
anisotropic material region, as shown in the above figure; or it could be coincident with one
of the material boundaries (e.g. either the upper or lower boundary of the anisotropic
material).
Remember that an Anisotropic Surface is only used to define the orientation of the weak
bedding plane direction. In this example, the anisotropic layer has constant thickness and is
well defined. For highly folded regions the anisotropic surface may not be so well defined
and you may have to estimate a “best-fit” surface, or divide the region into smaller areas
with different material assignments.
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Assign Anisotropic Surface

To assign the anisotropic surface to the green material layer, we will use the Anisotropic
Linear strength model in the Define Materials Properties dialog.
• Select Define Material Properties from the toolbar or the Properties menu.
• Select the Anisotropic Bedding material, choose the Anisotropic Linear strength
type.
• Enter the parameters shown below for c1, phi1, c2, phi2, A, B.
• Select Anisotropy Definition = Surface.
• Select Anisotropic Surface = Anisotropic Surface 1 (this is the surface we just
defined in the previous section).
The Anisotropic Linear strength model defines the following strength envelope:
• c1 and phi1 define the minimum strength of the anisotropic material over an
angular range of A degrees with respect to the bedding plane orientation
• c2 and phi2 define the maximum strength of the anisotropic material for slice base
angles greater than B from the bedding plane orientation
• For slice base angles between A and B a linear transition is assumed between the
weak bedding plane strength and the maximum strength.
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Strength envelope for Anisotropic Linear strength model
When using the Anisotropic Surface option, the surface is used to determine the local
orientation of anisotropy relative to a given slice base. Once this is determined the shear
strength is calculated using the above strength envelope.
For more information see the Anisotropic Linear help topic in the Slide help system.
Note that the rock mass material (the yellow material above and below the green layer) is
defined as a strong Mohr-Coulomb material with cohesion = 200 and Phi = 50 degrees.
Select OK in the Define Material Properties dialog.
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Surface Options
Select Surface Options from the Surfaces menu.
The surface options are:
• Non-circular
• Cuckoo Search
• Surface Altering Optimization
Select Cancel in the Surface Options dialog.
32 - 7
Compute
Save the file with a new filename, then select Compute to run the analysis.
When the analysis is complete select Interpret to view results.
Results
The global minimum safety factor is around 1 for all analysis methods (Bishop, Janbu,
Spencer and GLE). The results for the Janbu method are shown below, with Global
Minimum factor of safety = 0.93. The global minimum travels through the anisotropic layer
and closely follows the weak orientation of the bedding as defined using the Anisotropic
Surface.
If you turn on the display of All Surfaces you can see how the search is concentrated along
the direction of anisotropy in the anisotropic bedding material.
32 - 8
Location of Anisotropic Surface

As an optional exercise, re-run the analysis using a new anisotropic surface which coincides
with the lower or upper material boundary of the anisotropic bedding material, as shown in
the figures below.
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Anisotropic surface coincides with lower material boundary
Anisotropic surface coincides with upper material boundary
If you compare results with the previous analysis, you should find that results are very
similar whether you use the lower, middle or upper location for the anisotropic surface.
For this simple model the location of the anisotropic surface does not affect the results
significantly. However, for other models this may not be true (e.g. for highly folded
anisotropic layers with variable thickness). So you should keep this in mind when using this
option for more complex models, and try more than one location for the anisotropic surface
to see if results are affected. In general the middle of the layer should be used if possible.
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Constant Angle of Anisotropy

In earlier versions of Slide, the Anisotropic Linear model only allowed a constant angle of
anisotropy to be defined (the Anisotropic Surface option was not available).
The model used for this tutorial can be run using the constant angle option, if you divide the
anisotropic material layer into three separate regions, as shown below, and assign a
different material to each with a different angle of anisotropy. The strength properties of
each region will be the same, only the anisotropic angle will be different.
If you run this version of the model, you should get very similar results to those shown using
the Anisotropic Surface option. This version of the model was utilized in Slide Tutorial 27.
The advantages of using the Anisotropic Surface option, compared to the constant angle
option, are:
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• Can define a folded anisotropic region as a single material

• Can carry out a probabilistic analysis for anisotropic materials without worrying
about correlation of strength properties as described in Tutorial 27.
The constant angle option is sufficient for anisotropic materials with a constant bedding
angle. For folded anisotropic regions, the Anisotropic Surface option greatly simplifies the
modeling procedure, reduces analysis time and simplifies data interpretation.
3-dimensional model using Slide3
32 - 12
Tutorial 33 Spatial Variability
• Spatial variability analysis
• Correlation length
• Property viewer
• Simple cohesive slope
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 33: Spatial Variability
Introduction
Spatial variability analysis is a sub-option of the probabilistic analysis in Slide, which allows
you to simulate the variability of soil properties such as strength and unit weight, with
location within a soil mass. This tutorial will demonstrate the spatial variability option using
a simple one material slope with cohesive strength only.
What is spatial variability analysis?

Most real soil materials have properties which vary, to some extent, with the location
within the soil mass. A traditional probabilistic slope stability analysis does not account for
this type of variability. In a traditional probabilistic analysis:
• a statistical distribution is defined for a parameter (e.g. cohesion)
• for each simulation, the entire soil mass is assigned a single random value
Single random sample value (cohesion) applied to entire soil region

With spatial variability analysis:
• a statistical distribution is defined for a parameter
• correlation lengths are defined in the x and y directions
• for each simulation, a random field of values is generated for the soil mass
Random field of spatially variable cohesion
33 - 2
With spatial variability, rather than assigning a single randomly generated sample value to a
soil region, a random field of values is generated for each sampling based on the statistical
distribution and the correlation length parameters of a material. This creates a spatial
distribution of values (e.g. cohesion) throughout the material, for each sampling, as shown
in the above figure.
During the slope stability analysis, any slip surface which passes through a spatially variable
material, will encounter variability of properties along the slip surface.
Why use spatial variability analysis?

The premise of using spatial variability analysis, is that real soil materials have properties
which vary with location throughout the material. Therefore, an analysis which tries to
account for this type of variability, should provide a more realistic assessment of the mean
factor of safety and probability of failure of a slope.
The use of spatially variable analysis has been shown to affect the calculated probability of
failure of slope models. For example, it has been shown that for slope models with a mean
factor of safety greater than 1, accounting for spatial variability of material properties (e.g.
cohesion and unit weight) results in a LOWER probability of failure, compared to the same
analysis without using spatial variability (Ref. 1). A probabilistic analysis that does not
consider spatial variability has been shown to result in unrealistic and overly conservative
probabilities of failure.
Overview of steps for spatial variability analysis

The general procedure for using spatial variability in Slide 2018 is as follows.
1. Select Project Settings > Statistics > Probabilistic Analysis, and select the Spatial
Variability Analysis checkbox.
NOTE: the Overall Slope Analysis Type is automatically selected. Due to the nature
of a spatial variability analysis you must use the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis
type, since a new random field is generated with each sample for each spatial
material.
2. In the Material Statistics dialog, define the Correlation Lengths in the X and Y
direction for each material you are defining as spatially variable.
NOTE: correlation lengths are defined per material.
3. Preview the generated fields in the Property Viewer to ensure the field has been
correctly defined.
4. When you select Compute, the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis method is used.
In general, this type of analysis will longer than a typical Slide analysis, due to the
repetition of the critical slip surface search required by the Overall Slope analysis.
5. When you view results in Interpret, the presentation of results is mostly the same
as for a non-spatial probabilistic analysis, with additional features of the Property
Viewer.
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6. The Property Viewer option allows you to view the actual random fields generated
by the analysis. This option is available in both the Slide Model and Interpret
programs. In the Interpret program, you can view random fields and results (slip
surfaces) on the same plot, allowing you to see the effect of changing random fields
on the analysis results.
Properties available for spatial analysis

At present the spatial variability analysis in Slide only works in conjunction with the
following strength models:
• Mohr-Coulomb
• Undrained (constant or linearly increasing)
And the following material parameters:
• Cohesion
• Friction Angle
• Unit Weight
Spatial variability cannot be applied to any other material parameters.
Number of Samples / Sampling Method

For spatial variability analysis, a large number of samples, and the Latin Hypercube sampling
method is recommended. A minimum of 1000 samples should be used or higher (e.g. 2000
to 10,000 depending on the model complexity).
To save some computation time for this tutorial example, we have used only 500 samples
so that you can quickly view results and vary input parameters.
The Number of Samples is specified in Project Settings > Statistics.
Number of Slices
For spatial variability analysis, it is not necessary to increase the number of slices. Slide uses
a sub-sampling method to sample the bottom of each slice, and hence properly sample all
the cells at the bottom of each slice.
33 - 4
Overall Slope Analysis (non-spatial)

Select File > Recent Folders> Tutorials Folder and open the file Tutorial 33 Spatial
Variability – starting file.slmd.
This model is a simple slope with a cohesion only material. We will first run the model
WITHOUT spatial variability, using:
• the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis type with 500 samples

• circular slip surfaces
• Auto Refine Search method
Let’s have a look at our material properties. Select Properties > Define Materials. As you can
see we have a simple Undrained material with cohesion = 40 kPa.
Let’s view our statistical input. Select the Statistics button at the bottom of the Define
Materials dialog.
For the cohesion we have defined a Lognormal distribution with a large standard deviation
(COV coefficient of variation = 50 percent).
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Select Cancel in both dialogs.

Select Compute and then Interpret. You should see the following results.
The primary results for the overall slope analysis (mean safety factor and probability of
failure) are shown in the legend.
Because this is a cohesion-only slope, the Overall Slope Analysis finds the same global
minimum surface for all analysis runs (i.e. all random sample values of cohesion give the
same global minimum surface).
Let’s view the safety factor distribution. Select Statistics > Histogram, choose Data to Plot =
Factor of Safety, select Highlight Data Factor of Safety < 1 and select Plot.
33 - 6
Notice the lognormal distribution of safety factors (corresponding to our lognormal

distribution of cohesion), and the red bars representing safety factor < 1.
Return to the Slide Modeler.
33 - 7
Overall Slope Analysis with Spatial Variability

Save the file with a new file name.
Select Project Settings > Statistics and turn on the Spatial Variability Analysis checkbox.
This will enable the spatial variability analysis and allow you to define correlation lengths for
spatial random variables. The Automatically Calculate Mesh Size option should be left on
(see note below). Select OK.
Automatically Calculate Mesh Size

The mesh size in a random field must meet two requirements: 1) it is recommended that it
be at least half of the smaller correlation length (X or Y), and 2) each material layer must
have a sufficient number of cells to correctly represent the variability (for example a thin
horizontal layer should not have just one row of cells because this would not take into
account the vertical variability). Slide uses an algorithm that automatically calculates the
mesh size for each layer in order to satisfy these requirements. It is recommended that this
checkbox is not turned off. However, the user may turn off the checkbox if they want to
define their own mesh size for spatially variable materials in the Material Statistics dialog.
Defining Correlation Length

Select Statistics > Materials. To run a spatial variability analysis, you must define at least
one material property to be spatially variable, and define the correlation lengths.
In the Material Statistics dialog, for the “clay” material, select the Spatially Variable
Material checkbox, and enter Correlation Length = 5 for both the X and Y directions.
33 - 8
The Correlation Length represents the distance within a material over which values of a
spatially random variable (e.g. cohesion) are expected to be highly correlated (i.e. similar in
magnitude). In practice, two samples taken from adjacent locations in the soil profile tend
to have very close values and as the sampling distance increases this tendency decreases.
Small values of spatial correlation length mean that soil properties are highly fluctuated; on
the other hand, large values of spatial correlation length mean that soil properties vary
smoothly within the soil profile. If the Correlation lengths are equal in the X and Y
directions, this will generate isotropic random fields (i.e. no preferred direction, same
spatial variability in the horizontal and vertical directions).
Select OK in the Material Statistics dialog.
Property Viewer
Before computing, it is good practice to preview the fields in the Property Viewer. The
Property Viewer options are covered at the end of the tutorial.
Compute
Save the file and select Compute.
The computation time will be about the same as an Overall Slope analysis without spatial
variability.
Interpret
When compute is finished select Interpret. You should see the following result. Notice that
the spatial analysis generates many different global minimum surfaces, compared to the
non-spatial analysis (which for this example generated only a single global minimum
surface).
33 - 9
Let’s view the safety factor distribution. Select Statistics > Histogram, choose Data to Plot =
Factor of Safety, select Highlight Data Factor of Safety < 1 and select Plot.
33 - 10
Comparison with Non-Spatial Analysis

Let’s compare the primary results (Mean FS and Prob. of Failure) for the spatial and non-
spatial analysis.
Non-spatial analysis Spatial analysis
Mean Factor of Safety 1.387 1.161
Probability of Failure (%) 32.40 6.60
Including spatial variability for this example, has significantly DECREASED both the Mean
Factor of Safety and the Probability of Failure, compared to the non-spatial probabilistic
analysis.
If we plot the safety factor distribution for the spatial and non-spatial analysis at the same
scale, and tile the views, this graphically illustrates the effect of including spatial variability
in the analysis. The distribution of safety factors from the spatial analysis is much narrower.
Even though the mean safety factor is lower, the probability of failure is also lower, due to
the narrower distribution of safety factors for the spatial analysis, and the different shape of
the distribution (lognormal vs beta).
33 - 11
Property Viewer
Return to the spatial analysis file.
Select the Property Viewer option from the Analysis menu or the toolbar.
The Property Viewer allows you to plot the actual distributions of random fields generated
for the spatial random variables; it also allows you to see the global minimum slip surface
corresponding to any sample instance of the random fields.
Press F2 to Zoom All. By default you are viewing contours of the Cohesion spatial variable
for Sample 1 of the Overall Slope Analysis.
In the sidebar you will see the controls for the Property Viewer. If you click in the Sample
Number edit box and scroll the mouse wheel, you can view the random field of cohesion
generated for each random sampling of the Overall Slope Analysis. The Global Minimum slip
surface corresponding to the current sample number will also be displayed.
33 - 12
Scroll through the sample numbers and notice how the global minimum surface has a
tendency to pass through the LOW values of cohesion generated in each random field (in
this case the dark blue contour areas).
In the sidebar, select the Show Spatial Grid checkbox.
This will display the actual values generated at the grid points of the random field, as shown
in the following figure. This is the raw data used to generate the contours. You may prefer
this representation of the random field.
NOTE: the Property Viewer is also available in the Slide model program, and allows you to
view spatial data on the model, without having to run the analysis. This allows you to check
your input (e.g. correlation length, standard deviation) as you enter data.
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1. Re-run the spatial analysis with Correlation Length values of 20 meters and 40
meters, and compare results with the Correlation length of 5 meters.
2. Re-run the spatial analysis with differing values of correlation length in the X and Y
directions, and observe the random fields. For soils, the X correlation length is
usually much larger (e.g. 10 times) than the Y correlation length. This means that
the random fields tend to have relatively small spatial variability in the horizontal
direction, and relatively large spatial variability in the vertical direction.
3. Re-run the analysis with very large values of correlation length (e.g. 500 for both X
and Y correlation length). As the correlation lengths become very large, you will
notice that the results (i.e. probability of failure) approach that of a non-spatial
analysis (i.e. the random fields become more uniform).
References
1. Javankhoshdel, S., Luo, N. and Bathurst, R.J., 2017. Probabilistic analysis of simple
slopes with cohesive soil strength using RLEM and RFEM. Georisk: Assessment and
Management of Risk for Engineered Systems and Geohazards, 11(3), pp.231-246.
33 - 14
Tutorial 34 Spatial Variability Multi Material
• Spatial variability analysis
• Random cohesion, phi, unit weight
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 34: Spatial Variability Multi Material
Introduction
Spatial variability analysis is a sub-option of the probabilistic analysis in Slide, which allows
you to simulate the variability of soil properties such as strength and unit weight, with
location within a soil mass.
• For an overview of spatial variability analysis in Slide 2018, using a simple one
material slope, see Tutorial 33 Spatial Variability.
• This tutorial example will demonstrate the spatial variability option using a multi
material rock faced tailings dam model (Ref.1).
Note on Number of Samples

For the purpose of decreasing the compute time required to view results for this tutorial,
the Number of Samples was set to the relatively low value of 500 in Project Settings.
It is important to note that for Spatial Variability Analysis, higher values are recommended.
Number of Samples – a minimum of 1000 samples is recommended for probabilistic
analysis using Latin Hypercube sampling. With spatial variability analysis, even higher
numbers are sometimes required (e.g. 2000 to 10,000 or higher, depending on the level of
confidence required).
Model
Select File > Recent > Tutorials and open the file Tutorial 34 Spatial Variability – starting
file.slmd.
This model has five different materials. Select Properties > Define Materials.
34 - 2
All five materials have statistical distributions defined for some of the material parameters.
Select the Statistics button at the bottom of the Define Materials dialog.
In the Material Statistics dialog, select the Show All button to see all the random variables
which have been defined for material properties.
Note:
• Unit Weight is a random variable for all materials
• Friction angle is a random variable for 3 materials
• Cohesion is a random variable for 1 material
34 - 3
Select OK and then Cancel in all dialogs.
We will first run the model WITHOUT spatial variability, using:
• the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis type with 500 samples

• non-circular slip surfaces with surface altering optimization
• GLE limit equilibrium method
34 - 4
Compute
Because we are using the Overall Slope probabilistic analysis with non-circular surface
search optimization, the analysis will take some time, around 1 hour, depending on the
speed of your computer.
Interpret
Select Interpret and you should see the following:
The probability of failure for this model is about 13 percent, without considering spatial
variability of material properties.
Now we will re-run the analysis and include spatial variability.
34 - 5
Model (with spatial variability)

Duplicate the group and rename the two groups as shown.
Click on the Spatial Variability group.

Select Project Settings > Statistics and turn on the Spatial Variability Analysis checkbox.
Select OK.
Select Statistics > Materials.

Select the Tailings material, turn on the Spatially Variable Material checkbox, and enter
Correlation Length = 20 meters for both X and Y directions.
34 - 6
Repeat this for the Upper Till material and the Upper Glaciolacustrine material.
NOTE: the Core and Rock materials are NOT assigned spatial variability.
34 - 7
Select OK to save your input and close the Material Statistics dialog.
Property Viewer
The Property Viewer option can be used to view contours of spatially variable data, and
other types of data, directly on the model. Select Property Viewer from the toolbar or the
Analysis menu.
The data displayed by the Property Viewer is selected from the Property Viewer Options in
the sidebar. For example, select Property = Phi and Filter = Show Variable Only. You should
see the following contours of friction angle for the three spatially variable material regions.
If you scroll through the sample numbers, you will see contours of the random field
generated for each random sampling. This is the actual data used for each run of the
Select different property types (e.g. Cohesion, Unit Weight) to view the results. If a
parameter does not have variable properties, it will be displayed using a white color on the
34 - 8
model.
Experiment with the different Property Viewer Options.
Close Property Viewer

To close the Property Viewer and return to the model view, select:
• the Close button in the toolbar, OR

• the Return to Modeler option in the right-click
menu.
This will close the Property Viewer and return you to the main model view.
Compute
Select Compute. Only the new scenario will be automatically selected. Click OK. Depending
on the speed of your computer, this may take around an hour.
Interpret
Select Interpret.
With spatial variability included, the Probability of Failure has dropped to approximately 1.0
percent.
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This is the primary result of interest. With spatial variability included, the Probability of
Failure has dropped from 13 percent to 1 percent.
Let’s compare the distribution of safety factor from the two files.
• For each scenario, select Statistics > Histogram Plot, and generate a safety factor
distribution with FS < 1 highlighted.
• For each of the histogram plots, select Edit Properties, and enter the same min and
max values for the horizontal axis: Min = 0.5 and Max = 2.0.
• Tile the graph views and minimize the model views.
You should see the following. The histogram on the right shows the safety factor
distribution with NO spatial variability, and the plot on the left shows results WITH spatial
variability.
This comparison highlights the effect of using spatial analysis.

• With spatial variability included (left plot) the distribution of safety factors from the
Overall Slope probabilistic analysis is much narrower than the plot on the right (no
spatial variability).
• Considering spatial variability reduces the level of uncertainty of the problem.
• Fewer analyses had safety factor < 1, resulting in a lower Probability of Failure for
the file with spatial variability.
Maximize the model view for the spatial analysis file.
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Property Viewer
The Property Viewer is available in both the Model and Interpret programs. In Interpret,
the Property Viewer has the additional capability of showing results for slip surfaces
corresponding to random samples of the spatial probabilistic analysis.
Select Property Viewer from the toolbar or the Analysis menu.
In the Property Viewer Options in the sidebar, select:
• Property = Phi
• Filter = Show Variable Only
• Normalize Spatial Contours to StdDev (checkbox ON)
Scroll through the sample numbers. You will notice that the global minimum slip surface
corresponding to the current sample is displayed.
The Normalize Spatial Contours to StdDev option normalizes the contours for all spatial
materials, relative to the standard deviation for each material, so that you can quickly see
the relative min and max values of the random fields, for all materials. If you wish to plot
the actual (absolute) values then simply turn this checkbox off.
While in the Property Viewer, notice the options in the toolbar:
• Synchronize Property Viewers

• Open New Property Viewer
• Contour Options
• Display Options
34 - 11
The first two options are helpful when there is correlation between parameters. They would
allow you to view the random field for cohesion and friction angle at once, for example, by
tiling the Property Viewer views. By synchronizing the property viewers, you would be able
to scroll the samples at the same time.
Notice the options to the right of the Sample Number field.
• Filter Samples
• Show the sample that gives the minimum factor of safety
Select the Filter Samples option. In the Filter Samples dialog, select the following option to
display the 10 lowest safety factor samples. Select Done.
If you now scroll through the sample numbers in the sidebar, you will see that only the 10
lowest safety factor samples and slip surfaces are displayed. NOTE that the sample numbers
shown in the Sample Number edit box, are the actual sample numbers generated during the
analysis.
Now Click on the minimum factor of safety button next to it. You will see sample 359 which
has a factor of safety of 0.942 as shown.
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You are encouraged to experiment with the Property Viewer Options and the Contour
Options to become familiar with the many different display possibilities.
To read more about this example please see Ref. 1.
References
1. Cami, B., Javankhoshdel, S., Lam, J., Bathurst, R.J. and Yacoub, T. 2017. Probabilistic analysis
of a tailings dam using 2D composite circular and non-circular deterministic analysis, SRV
approach, and RLEM. 70th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, Ottawa, Ontario, 7 p.
34 - 13
Tutorial 35 Weak Layer Tutorial
• Weak layer polyline option
• Modeling a liner as a weak layer
Slide 2018 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 35: Weak Layer
Introduction
The Weak Layer option in Slide 2018 allows you to define a weak layer using only a polyline.
A weak layer polyline has assigned strength properties. Since a weak layer polyline has no
physical thickness, it is intended to be used for modeling interfaces, joints or very thin weak
layers with negligible thickness, along which sliding might occur.
Before we proceed we should clarify what we mean by a “weak layer”.
Modeling weak layers in Slide

In typical slope stability modeling, a weak layer is defined as a thin material layer, bounded
by two material boundaries. The layer has a finite thickness, and is assigned material
properties, as shown in the example below.
Weak layer modeled as a thin material layer

This method of modeling weak layers is commonly used, and works very well in most
circumstances. The advanced search algorithms in Slide can locate critical slip surfaces even
in thin irregular weak layers, with excellent results in most cases.
However, there are some limitations to this method.
• For very thin weak layers (thickness approaching zero), or irregular non-linear weak
layers, even the best search algorithms may have trouble locating slip surfaces
within such layers. In some cases, the user may be forced to define a search polyline
inside a finite weak layer, to focus the search within the weak layer.
• If a weak layer represents an interface with zero thickness, then the user is forced
to create a thin material layer to model the interface, using two material
boundaries, since you cannot create a zero-thickness material. For example, when
modeling a geomembrane interface in landfill.
Due to these limitations, Slide now offers an alternative method for modeling weak layers:
using the Weak Layer polyline option.
35 - 2
Weak Layer Polyline

The Weak Layer polyline option has the following attributes:
• A weak layer is defined by a polyline.
• The polyline is assigned material (strength) properties.
• The search algorithms in Slide will attempt to “follow” the weak layer polyline, to
generate slip surfaces along the polyline (in this sense, a weak layer polyline
behaves as a search focus object).
• A weak layer polyline is an independent modeling entity, and does NOT get
intersected with any other model boundaries.
• A weak layer polyline can NOT be used as a material boundary. If you require a
material boundary at the same location as a weak layer boundary, then you will
have to add a material boundary AND a weak layer polyline at the same location.
A typical use of a Weak Layer polyline, would be to model a very thin interface of zero or
negligible thickness, such as a geomembrane interface in a landfill.
Weak layer modeled as a polyline
Weak Layer Example 1

We will start by importing the Tutorial 2 model. Select File > Recent > Tutorials and open
the file Tutorial 2 Materials and Loading.slmd.
Right-click on the Group 1 group in the Document Viewer and select Duplicate Group. Right-
click and rename the Groups “Material” and “Polyline,” respectively.
Click ok the Polyline group.

Select: Boundaries > Add Weak Layer.
35 - 3
You will be prompted to enter the vertices of the boundary in the command line or
graphically. In the command line enter 5, 17 and press Enter. Then enter 100, 35 and press
Enter again. Right-click and select Done to finish entering coordinates.
A Weak Layer dialog will appear. Change the material to weak layer, indicating that the
polyline will have the properties of this material. Click OK.
The weak layer has been defined. We can now remove the material layer. Right-click on the
gray boundaries of the green layer and select “Delete Boundary.” You will have to do this
twice. Your model should look as shown.
Compute
We are now ready to view the results. Select Compute to run the analysis.
Interpret
Select Interpret. Then select Window > Tile Vertically to see both results. You will see the
following:
35 - 4
Firstly, notice that using the weak layer polyline, the surface conforms to the polyline. Using
circular surfaces with the weak layer material, the surface is still circular.
Note that the results are a little different. This is because in the weak layer material case,
the material is relatively thick (2 m) so it is not identical to the weak layer polyline case. The
difference is also due to the shape of the surface as already noted.
Weak Layer Example 2

Now let’s look at a more complex model. Select File > Recent > Tutorials and open the file
Tutorial 35 Weak Layer 2 – starting file.slmd.
You will see the waste dump model shown below. By hovering over the different materials
you can see that the yellow material is the waste and various soils are found beneath it.
In this example, we want to apply a liner to the model with the weak layer option.
Select: Boundaries > Add Weak Layer.
Click through the vertices along the bottom of the waste material: (500, 302), (647, 325),
(1394, 235), (1628, 284) and press Enter.
In the Assign Weak Layer dialog, select the Clay Liner as shown and click OK.
35 - 5
Compute
We are now ready to view the results. Select Compute to run the analysis.
Interpret
Select Interpret. You will see the following:
Notice that the slip surface curves through the liner as expected.
This concludes the Weak Layer tutorial.
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Tutorial 01 Quick Start Tutorial

• Homogeneous single material slope

Enter vertex [esc=cancel]: 0 0

Modeling Tips and Shortcuts

A Grid Search requires a grid of slip centers.

so just select OK, and the grid will be created.

Your screen should look as follows.

Changing the Slope Limits

When you are finished entering properties, select OK.

Global Minimum Slip Surfaces

It is very important to note the following –

Viewing Minimum Surfaces

Viewing All Surfaces

Editing Drawing Tools

Saving Drawing Tools

Intro to Multi Scenario Modeling

5. Select Scenario 2 in the Document Viewer.

7. Save the file.

Add External Boundary

Add Material Boundaries

Add Water Table

You will now see the Assign Water Table dialog.

Add Distributed Load

Select: Loading → Add Distributed Load

Select: Surfaces → Surface Options

Enter the properties, and select OK when finished.

Note the following about the Water Parameters:

Select: Properties → Assign Properties

More Query Shortcuts

Query Slice Data

Show Values Along Surface

Select: Query → Show Values Along Surface

3. Choose different Slice Data types and observe the results.

Graph SF along Slope

Other Search Methods

Maximum Data Output Option

Multi Scenario Document Viewer

Select: Surfaces → Block Search → Add Polyline

More About Block Search Objects

Select: Data → Filter Surfaces

Turn off the All Surfaces display, by re-selecting All Surfaces.

Select: Data → All Surfaces

Select: Analysis → Modeler

Select: Analysis → Interpret

Random Surface Generation

That concludes this tutorial.

What is a Composite Surface?

Example of Composite slip surface

Right Click Shortcuts

The model should look as follows.

Select: Analysis → Interpret

BLOCK SEARCH with projection angles

BLOCK SEARCH with projection angles; optimized

COMPOSITE (Group 2 – Master Scenario) 0.707

Select: Analysis → Modeler

Modified grid for composite surfaces example.

Auto Refine Search Method

Select: Surfaces → Surface Options

Now view all of the surfaces generated by the search.

Add External Boundary

Adding a Water Pressure Grid

Flownet used to obtain total head measurements