Laura Moore

An Assessment of Hill Slope Stability Using the Factor of Safety part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
Students consider the balance of forces on a hillslope using the Factor of Safety by calculating shear stress and shear strength for an example hillslope and formulating an expression for the factor of safety in an Excel spreadsheet. Students then use this spreadsheet to conduct a sensitivity analysis for the purpose of assessing which variables are most important in determining hillslope stability. A series of short answer questions guide students through this process and a series of reflection questions give students the opportunity to consider assumptions and applicability of the factor of safety to the real world. This is a homework assignment that generally takes 1.5 to 2 hours for students to complete.

Earth Surface Processes part of Cutting Edge:Course Design:Goals Database
Laura Moore , laura.moore@oberlin.edu Oberlin College a Private four-year institution, primarily undergraduate . Course URL: Subject: Geoscience:Geology:GeomorphologyResource Type: Course ...