Tutorials

Estimated reading time: 5 min Last updated: 9 October 2026
Practical exercises
Slope Optimisation Case Studies

Practise the Slope Optimiser workflow with six worked cases. Begin with a homogeneous slope, then explore layered materials, groundwater, crest and toe anchors, and geological faults.

Start Case 1a to follow your first exercise online, or choose a case below. Each case includes its input values, illustrated steps, and example results.

Tutorials Overview

Six exercises introduce four types of slope model, using the same workflow.

The case studies introduce the modelling and optimisation of open-pit slopes using homogeneous and layered materials, groundwater and geological faults. Cases 1a and 1b introduce the Mohr-Coulomb and Generalised Hoek-Brown strength models. Cases 3a and 3b compare crest and toe anchors using the same groundwater setup.

Case 2

Layered

Multiple materials

Case 2
Case 4

Faults

Water and faults

Case 4

Before you begin

Set up the software and your account before starting the exercises.

Activate Your Licence

Download Slope Optimiser from the OptimalSlope website and install it. Have a valid software licence and the account credentials provided to you, then:

  1. Open Tools > Settings.
  2. Select Account and enter your Username, Access Key ID and Secret Access Key in New profile setup.
  3. Click Configure, then Check profile. Confirm that the panel reports: “The user profile is configured correctly.”

Download the tutorial models below and extract the ZIP into a working folder before opening or importing files. The workbook PDF is optional for printing or offline use.

Each exercise follows the same sequence: create or open a project, import a section, define properties, set the slope geometry, run a simulation, review the results, and export the output. For the supplied DXF sections, select Meters when importing.

New to the interface? Read Quick Start first. Keep Simulation Workflow open for detailed explanations of individual tools and simulation checks.

Download tutorial files

Follow the exercises online and download the models to practise in the software.

Tutorial models

DXF sections, starter and final CBF projects, and example exported profiles, organised in the same case folders as the workbook.

Download tutorial models ZIP

Optional Workbook PDF

All six exercises for printing or offline use, with numbered steps, material inputs, screenshots, and example results. PDF, approximately 28 MB.

Download workbook PDF

Use the starter project when you want to begin with an existing project file, or import the DXF to follow an exercise from the beginning. The final project provides a reference for checking the completed setup. Each online case includes the workbook’s example result plot.

The supplied final projects use Automatic results storage rather than the author’s folder. Before running a new simulation, use Save As to save your working copy; its results folder will be created beside that .cbf file.

The workbook was prepared for the IOC 2026 OPTIMALMINE School on 7 October 2026. Its exercises can also be followed independently.

Choose a case

Start with Case 1a and follow the sequence below to introduce one feature at a time.

Case 1a

Homogeneous Slope with Mohr-Coulomb

Create your first model, assign bench and rock properties, define a crest anchor, and review the optimised slope and Factor of Safety.

Workbook: pages 5-11.

Open Case 1a
Case 1b

Homogeneous Slope with Hoek-Brown

Use the Generalised Hoek-Brown strength model and practise entering its rock-mass parameters.

Workbook: pages 12-16.

Open Case 1b
Case 2

Layered Slope

Assign separate material properties to multiple geological layers and optimise the resulting slope.

Workbook: pages 17-21.

Open Case 2
Case 3a

Groundwater with a Crest Anchor

Assign an imported open polyline as the piezometric line and run a layered slope with a prescribed crest.

Workbook: pages 22-27.

Open Case 3a
Case 3b

Groundwater with a Toe Anchor

Reuse the Case 3a setup, prescribe the toe position and elevation, and compare the two anchor choices.

Workbook: pages 28-30.

Open Case 3b
Case 4

Groundwater and Faults

Classify faults separately from rock layers, assign fault strength properties, and analyse the slope with groundwater and faults.

Workbook: pages 31-36.

Open Case 4

Case 3b builds on Case 3a. Open Case3A_final.cbf from Case_3A_water_crest, then save the toe-anchor variant separately in Case_3B_water_toe so that both setups remain available for comparison.

Open a case above for the full online instructions. Use Properties when you need an explanation of a material, geometry, or optional input.

Review and reuse results

Check the completed model before exporting or comparing scenarios.

Save each exercise as a separate .cbf project before running it. With Automatic results storage selected, the software creates a section simulation folder beside the saved project. Review any Simulation Check items before submission and use Fetch results to retrieve the output.

Compare the achieved Factor of Safety, slope height, bench geometry, and prescribed crest or toe with your inputs and the workbook’s example. Cases 1a and 1b use different material and bench inputs as well as different strength models; their results should be read in the context of each case’s settings.

Each online case ends with instructions for exporting a DXF and creating a project section from the output. Choose Rocscience when exporting for a Rocscience workflow; this option automatically generates the closed external boundary. The same shared instructions are on workbook pages 37-38.

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