Computerized slope-stability analysis of refuse piles and impoundments by the simplified Bishop method

Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 77.214-216 concerning coal refuse piles and impoundments call for the engineered design and construction of these structures. An integral part of most of these designs is a slope stability analysis that often involves long, tedious and complicated calculations. With the use of a computer, these slope stability analyses can be performed relatively easily by a qualified engineer. This report presents the steps involved in computer-modeling and analyzing refuse piles and impoundments via the Simplified Bishop Method of Slices, a commonly employed technique for circular arc failures. Two example problems which use the well-known computer program entitled SBM (Simplified Bishop Method), which was originally developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, are given. For completeness, a listing and description of, and input cards for the SBM program are presented in the appendices.