TEXTILES.ORG
Seequent, The Bentley Subsurface Company, has announced the release of SLOPE3D, an advanced slope stability analysis tool that empowers geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists to design safer slopes. Building on the capabilities of GeoStudio’s 2D SLOPE/W product, SLOPE3D is an intuitive limit equilibrium solution for analyzing rock and soil slopes in mining and civil projects – for example, hillslopes, open pit mines, and engineered structures such as dams and levees.
“SLOPE3D combines the most up-to-date research on 3D slope analysis techniques with the capabilities in SLOPE/W, a trusted tool for assessing 2D slope stability for over 30 years, providing a practical approach for capturing slope failure mechanisms for simple to complex geotechnical models,” said Chris Kelln, director, technical solutions for GeoStudio. “Ensuring the safety and reliability of engineered projects is at the heart of geotechnical engineering. We specifically designed SLOPE3D to empower geotechnical and geological engineers to make confident decisions, improve safety, reduce project risks and costs, and ultimately design better infrastructure.”
GeoStudio’s powerful and easy-to-use interface provides a unique modelling and analysis experience. Multiple 3D geometries and analyses can be added to a single project and solved simultaneously. Geo-professionals can include SLOPE3D analyses in existing 2D stability projects for efficient results comparison.
SLOPE3D connects directly with Seequent’s geological modelling software, Leapfrog, via Seequent Central, and integrates with GeoStudio’s SEEP3D. This creates a seamless workflow with smooth data exchange and simpler data management to improve project accuracy and outcomes.
SLOPE3D can be purchased now from Seequent. See the new SLOPE3D product page for more information, release announcement video, and a free trial. SLOPE3D is part of the GeoStudio 2023 release.
Other uses include:
Tailings dams: SLOPE3D allows stability assessment throughout the construction and operation of tailings storage facilities to help mitigate the risk of failure, particularly when lateral confinement is not present – for example, at the corner of tailings facilities.
Embankments and dams: The stability of the geotechnical structure and subsurface can be analyzed using SLOPE3D to assist geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists to design safe, dependable embankments, levees, and dams, particularly when the geometry, geology and/or groundwater flow system present challenging 3D situations.
Natural slopes: The potential failure of natural slopes – for example, alongside highways, rail lines, and other infrastructure – can be evaluated using SLOPE3D.