Seismic Slope Safety – Sarma Method Revisited

Sarma revisits his well-known seismic stability method and clarifies its derivation, assumptions and applicability. He presents updated formulations for seismic coefficient selection, yield acceleration, and dynamic equilibrium along noncircular failure surfaces. The work highlights why the Sarma method remains widely used for pseudostatic and permanent-displacement checks, while also outlining its limitations when soil nonlinearity or multi-directional shaking dominate behaviour.