Stability of man-made slopes

The paper discusses three examples of man-made slopes that are affected by the specific geotechnical conditions of their respective settings. Recognizing and respecting the imposed geotechnical boundary conditions in the design and construction stages is shown to be vital for the long-term stability of these slopes. These conditions imposed by nature are often only marginally investigated during the pre-investment stages of projects that include the excavation or construction of slopes. As a result, the safety and economical viability of man-made slopes may not be guaranteed for their entire expected engineering lifetime.