The importance of visualisation of results from slope stability analysis

Limit equilibrium methods are widely used for slope design applications, dynamically coupled hydrological-slope stability models and geomorphological investigations of long-term stability. Typically, computer codes generate a single minimum factor of safety and associated slip surface. Although this is attractive in that a single statement of stability is generated, such an approach ignores the many other slip surfaces that have been analysed, some of which may be capable of providing important additional information on the stability of the slope. In this paper the authors show that it is necessary to retain and visualise all slip surface information to determine the full extent of potential slope instability.