All simple slope excavations 20 feet or less in depth shall have a maximum allowable slope of?

All simple slope excavations 20 feet or less in depth shall have a maximum allowable slope of?

• A. 1:1
• B. 4 feet
• C. 20 feet
• D. 1 1/2:1

Answer: (D)

Max slope is about how steep the excavation walls can be. For simple slope excavations up to 20 feet deep, the limit is 1.5 horizontal to 1 vertical (written as 1 1/2:1). This means for every 1 foot of depth, the wall must extend at least 1.5 feet horizontally, making the wall less steep and safer for cave-ins. So with a 20-foot depth, the allowable wall would be flatter than a 1:1 slope (which is steeper). The other options don’t express a slope ratio and aren’t the allowed maximum.

Max slope is about how steep the excavation walls can be. For simple slope excavations up to 20 feet deep, the limit is 1.5 horizontal to 1 vertical (written as 1 1/2:1). This means for every 1 foot of depth, the wall must extend at least 1.5 feet horizontally, making the wall less steep and safer for cave-ins. So with a 20-foot depth, the allowable wall would be flatter than a 1:1 slope (which is steeper). The other options don’t express a slope ratio and aren’t the allowed maximum.