Ponded Water Pressure

Ponded Water can be applied to the slope in the Water Parameters tab of the Slope Properties dialog. The following options are available to define Ponded Water on a slope.

Ponded Water Elevation

Ponded Water Elevation defines the ponded water level as the height of the water surface according to the origin point. Hydrostatic forces are applied to all block surfaces below the user-defined elevation value.

Ponded Water Unit Weight

The Water Unit Weight is used to determine:

• The calculated water pressure on the slope face(s)
• The unit weight of water used to calculate the hydrostatic force in a water-filled or partially water-filled Joint.

The default value of the Water Unit Weight is determined by the Units of Measurement selected in Project Settings (9.81 kN/m3 for metric units, 62.4 lbs/ft3 for Imperial Units). However, you may change this value if necessary.

To simulate ponded materials other than water (i.e. fill, tailings, etc.) you can change the Water Unit Weight to the actual unit weight. To simulate a "dry" slope, set the Ponded Water Elevation to zero.