A comparative review of commercially-available software for soil slope stability analysis

Summary The main purpose of this paper is to carry out a comparative review of four commercial computer programs for the stability analysis of soil slopes. The review is carried out in two parts and should prove useful for potential users of the software. Part I reviews the facilities offered in terms of the range of limit equilibrium methods, the geotechnical modelling abilities, the operational features and the supporting documentation, and includes a general impression of friendliness. Part II assesses the use, accuracy and validity of each program by presenting and discussing the results of a number of model tests. Also included is a brief discussion of slope stability analysis, in particular the limit equilibrium method. The requirements of a practical computer program for soil slope stability analysis are defined and then used as a means of assessing the effectiveness of each program.