Case Study: Tierra Group achieves 3D resolution of complex slope stability at tailings dam corner with Bentley (PLAXIS LE & PLAXIS Designer)

Tierra Group Turns to 3D Analysis to Resolve Complex Slope Stability Project

Tierra Group, a provider of geotechnical and related engineering services, faced a complex slope-stability problem at the corner of a tailings earth dam where the dam geometry and highly variable geo‑strata made conventional 2D analysis impractical. To address this, Tierra Group used Bentley’s PLAXIS LE and PLAXIS Designer to perform a full 3D analysis of the structure and foundation conditions.

Using Bentley’s PLAXIS Designer to import topography, borehole logs, and 2D geologic sections, Tierra Group built a 3D conceptual model and performed stability and orientation analyses in PLAXIS LE. The Bentley solution identified the critical slip direction that produced the minimum factor of safety, revealed interactions between the engineered dam and subsurface strata, and enabled rapid evaluation of multiple potential failure locations and orientations—speeding decision-making and improving the robustness of the factor-of-safety assessment.

Tierra Group

Justin Knudsen

Senior, Civil/Geotechnical Engineer