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 v.7.0 Tutorial Manual Tutorial 4: Composite Surfaces

Introduction
This tutorial will use the same model as the Materials & Loading 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 the Tutorial 04 Composite
Surfaces.slim 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
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 7.0 → Slide.
If the Slide application window is not already maximized, maximize it now, so that the full
screen is available for viewing the model.
Since this tutorial is based on the Materials and Loading model, we will read in a file, rather
than repeat the modeling procedure.
Select: File → Open

If you completed the Materials and Loading tutorial, and saved the file, you can use this file
(tutorial02.slim). 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 02 Materials and
Loading.slim).
Open whichever file is most convenient.

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Surface Options
First of all, let’s enable the Composite Surfaces option, in the Surface Options dialog.
Select: Surfaces → Surface Options

In the Surface Options dialog, select the Composite Surfaces checkbox, and select OK.

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.

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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
Before you analyze your model, save it as a file called composite1.slim. (Slide model files
have a .slim filename extension).
Select: File → Save As
Use the Save As dialog to save the file with the new filename. You are now ready to run the
analysis.

Select: Analysis → Compute

The Slide Compute engine will proceed in running the analysis. 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 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) obtained from this tutorial, and the previous two tutorials.

SURFACE TYPE GLOBAL MINIMUM

SAFETY FACTOR

CIRCULAR .797

NON-CIRCULAR .704

NON-CIRCULAR .667
(optimized)

COMPOSITE .707

Global minimum safety factors (Bishop analysis), for different slip surface types and search
options.
Let’s view the slices for the composite surface. Select Show Slices from the toolbar or the
Query menu. Your model should appear as follows.

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Select Show Slices again, to turn off the display of slices.

Now view the minimum surfaces at the grid points.
Select: Data → Minimum Surfaces
Use the Filter Surfaces option to view only slip surfaces with a safety factor less than 1.
Select: Data → Filter Surfaces
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, there are many unstable surfaces for this model, other than the Global
Minimum. This model would definitely require support or design modifications, in order to
be made stable. Turn off the Minimum Surfaces display by re-selecting the Minimum
Surfaces option.

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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.
Select: Analysis → Modeler

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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.

Modified grid for composite surfaces example.

Now let’s see how the new grid affects the analysis.

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Compute
First, save the modified model as a new file, called composite2.slim.
Select: File → Save As
Use the Save As dialog to save the file with the new filename. Now select Compute.

Select: Analysis → Compute

The Slide Compute engine will proceed in running the analysis. When completed, you are
ready to view the results in Interpret.

Interpret
To view the results of the analysis:
Select: Analysis → Interpret
This will start the Slide Interpret program. You should see the following figure.

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.
The Global Minimum safety factor (Bishop) is now 0.699. 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.

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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.
Select: Analysis → Modeler

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.
To specify an Auto Refine Search:
Select: Surfaces → Surface Options

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.

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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.
Now let’s run the analysis.
Select: Analysis → Compute
The file will be saved, and Slide will run the analysis. When completed, you are ready to
view the results in Interpret.
Select: Analysis → Interpret
The safety factor of the Global Minimum slip surface found by the Auto Refine Search
method (Bishop Analysis) is 0.694. 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.

Select: Data → All Surfaces
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.

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To view all of the slip centers, select Zoom All (you can press the F2 key as a shortcut). Some
of the slip centers are generated at a considerable height above the slope. These
correspond to relatively “flat” circles with large radii.
Select Zoom Slope to bring the slope back into view.

Surfaces generated by Auto Refine 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.
That concludes this tutorial. To exit the program:
Select: File → Exit

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