Quick Conservative Slope Calculations

[lgsabr]

Is there such a thing using basic soil properties? I work with a lot of contractors and would like to be able to do a quick calculation to determine the factor of safety of a slope...in addition to what OSHA recommends for soil type. As this is all contractors generally use.

 

[fattdad]

OSHA recommendations are for short-term construction projects. For long-term stable slope design, you can refer to NAVFAC DM 7.2. This publication has slope stability charts that you may find useful.

f-d

¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

 

[cvg]

"An Engineering Manual for Slope Stability Studies, J. M. Duncan, 1987"

 

[Riggly]

I think the best book I came across on slope stability is "Slope Stability and Stabilization Methods" by Abramson, Lee, Sharma, and Boyce. Foundation Engineering Handbook by Fang also has some simplified methods for checking the slope stability of homegenous soil.

 

[FixedEarth]

If the soils are fairly uniform and there is no broken slope, you can use the attached charts to get a quick factor of safety.