An efficient search method for finding the critical circular slip surface using the Monte Carlo technique

Abstract

Locating the critical slip surface and the associated minimum factor of safety are two complementary parts in a slope stability analysis. A large number of computer programs exist to solve slope stability problems. Most of these programs, however, have used inefficient and unreliable search procedures to locate the global minimum factor of safety. This paper presents an efficient and reliable method to determine the global minimum factor of safety coupled with a modified version of the Monte Carlo technique. Examples are presented to illustrate the reliability of the proposed method.Key words: factor of safety, method of search, critical slip surface, circular, global, Monte Carlo.