Abstract:Xiarihamu nickel and cobalt deposit is a large scale nickel and cobalt sulfide deposit. Now, a large open-pit stope is to be built. The side slope is of stepped type with the maximum height of more than 600 m. The project is an important project, which has the characteristics of high excavation cost and serious consequences of slope instability. Thus, it is necessary to choose an optimal slope angle which can save economic cost and ensure the stability of the whole slope. In this paper, the slope module limit equilibrium method in GeoStudio software is used to analyze the overall slope stability of the proposed open pit excavation slope angle, and the optimal design slope angle is proposed. The idea of slope angle optimization is as follows: firstly, according to the site engineering geological conditions and the height of the proposed slope and other factors, the proposed slope is divided into five areas, typical slope engineering geological section is selected and the engineering geological rock mass is segmented, then the rock mass of each section is endowed with cohesion and internal strength through the reduction calculation of rock strength index (this paper adopts fischenko method, M. Georgi method and empirical method) . According to the calculation parameters, such as friction angle, the limit equilibrium method (slope module method in GeoStudio software) is used to calculate the failure mode and safety factor of slope in different sections under different angles. Finally, the optimal design slope angle of each partition slope is proposed.