Slope Stability Screening Checklist
Civil Geo Tools

Purpose
Use this checklist to screen slope conditions before doing a simplified factor of safety calculation or requesting a more detailed geotechnical stability evaluation.

Field Observations
[ ] Slope angle, height, soil thickness, surface cover, and evidence of fill or colluvium
[ ] Scarps, tension cracks, hummocky ground, bulging toe, tilted trees, and offset fences
[ ] Seepage, wet zones, springs, erosion channels, and recent rainfall or irrigation changes
[ ] Toe excavation, added fill, surcharge at the crest, utility leaks, and drainage outlets

Screening Inputs
[ ] Potential failure model: shallow planar, rotational, translational, or uncertain
[ ] Unit weight, cohesion, friction angle, undrained strength, or residual strength source
[ ] Groundwater or pore pressure assumption used for dry, wet, and adverse cases
[ ] Consequence level and whether the slope affects buildings, roads, utilities, or public areas

Engineering notes
- A simple infinite slope model is not suitable for deep rotational failures.
- Water and weak layers often control slope behavior more than average slope angle.
- Active or accelerating movement should be treated as a field safety concern, not only a calculation problem.

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Engineering note: This resource is for educational and preliminary reference only. Adapt it to project requirements and obtain professional review where needed.