Five large and many small landslides are developed in Jurassic strata along the lower reaches of Xiangxi River, where interbedded weak and hard bedrock layers foster the development of landslides with a “stair-step” sliding surface. The paper investigates the evolution characteristics of these landslides and presents a novel forecasting model for their displacements. The distribution characteristics

The random field finite element method (RF-FEM) provides a robust tool for carrying out slope reliability analysis that incorporates the spatial variability of soil properties. However, it has a major drawback of being computationally very time-consuming. To address this common criticism, the current study proposes a novel metamodel-based method for efficient slope reliability analysis in spatially

The long-term effect of lime treatment was evaluated on a 2.5% lime-treated experimental embankment after seven years of atmospheric exposure. The evaluation was done by comparison of (i) the mechanical performance of the field sampled specimens with laboratory cured specimens, and (ii) the physicochemical and microstructural properties of the samples from the lime-treated embankment with specimens

Reservoir bank collapse, as a typical geological hazard, severely affects the geomorphic evolution and safety of residential sites. In this study, a case of Tankeng Reservoir, which is a large reservoir in eastern China is used to analyze a three-dimensional evolution mechanism and deformation characteristics of reservoir bank collapse by years of field investigation, underwater topography measurements

Availability of high-resolution optical imagery and advances in image processing technologies have significantly improved our ability to map landslides. In recent years Object-based image analysis (OBIA) has been gaining in popularity for landslide mapping due to its ability to incorporate spectral, textural, morphological and topographical properties. Many studies have been conducted based on commercial

Large portions of the highly populated central Po Plain in northern Italy are susceptible to major liquefaction–induced ground failure and resulting damage, as illustrated by the 2012 Mw 5.6–5.8 earthquake sequence. Our work presents a comprehensive geomorphological, stratigraphic and geotechnical dataset from a 1012 km2 study area in the alluvial plain, analysed through the integration of different

The Alto Guadalentín Basin (Spain) is widely recognized as an area of major anthropogenic land subsidence due to groundwater extraction. This paper presents a numerical methodology to quantify the severe subsidence of this basin over history. First, a 3D groundwater model is proposed to reproduce groundwater evolution in the regional Alto Guadalentín aquifer system since 1960, leading to an average

In this paper we present a physical modelling approach where the stability of rock blocks against toppling in the field can be estimated using a tilt table, engineered rock models and 3D-printed small-scale versions of a natural rock boulder. To achieve this goal, first, simple geometry rock elements are tilted and results interpreted according to analytical formulations. Then, more complex geometry

Sedimentary deposits often display a variety of grains and especially in gap graded materials or soil mixtures, it is expected that the finer particles may develop a coating in the contact region of coarser particles. Development of coatings in the vicinity of the contacts of coarser grains may also be encountered due to increase in depth and pressure which cause breakage of grain asperities forming

This work designs an experimental model of tight sandstone with a closed cemented pre-existing fracture network (CCPF) to explore the influence of closed cemented natural fractures on the propagation behavior of hydraulic fracture (HF) in tight sandstone formations. The influence of CCPFs with different directions on the initiation, deflection, and propagation of HF is studied based on tri-axial hydraulic

Land subsidence is a severe geo-hazard in coastal regions and represents a great threat to infrastructure. Based on long-term measurement data, including that for deep compaction from vertical multipoint extensometers, land subsidence and infrastructural settlement from leveling surveys, groundwater levels in multiple confined aquifers, and hydrogeological conditions, this study investigates the effects

A series of downscaled physical sandbox experiments are conducted to observe the evolution of the surface rupture induced by the oblique-slip faulting and estimate its impact on a rigid embedded shallow foundation. High-resolution orthoimages and digital surface model of the experiments are generated through the photogrammetry technique to quantify the ground deformation pattern. The distinct element

Prediction of the area of possible inundation is critical for debris-flow hazard management. This is typically done with inundation modeling programs, but many of these models are not specific to predict post-wildfire debris flows, a particularly dangerous subset. For this research, deposition patterns from flows triggered by the 2003 Christmas Day storm in areas burned by the Old and Grand Prix Fires

An in-depth understanding of the thermomechanical properties of rocks is fundamentally important in many fields of geotechnical engineering. However, the microcracking mechanisms of thermally-treated granite under mode I loading are very complex. To investigate the effect of thermal treatment on the microcracking behavior, we perform mode I three-point bending tests on a set of pre-notched semi-circular

The reactivation of the Chelungpu Fault triggered the 1999 Chi-Chi Mw 7.6 earthquake, resulting in substantial ground surface ruptures and severe damage. After the earthquake, the surveys organized by the Central Geology Survey (CGS) of Taiwan and the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE) immediately investigated a variety of cases related to engineering structures damaged

This paper proposes a novel method for simulating a three-dimensional (3D) random field conditional on site data. It is based on the assumption of separable auto-correlation in the vertical and horizontal directions. This novel method adopts special simulation techniques so that it can handle incomplete site data (e.g., missing data at some depths). Moreover, it can simulate a 3D conditional random

Landslide processes could be dangerous and occur not only under natural conditions but also on anthropogenic slopes of artificially accumulated spoil heaps. Establishing chronology of landslide activity is of crucial importance for landslide hazard assessment. Dendrogeomorphic methods are commonly used approaches for the reconstruction of past activity of landslides on natural slopes, but their application

In the last 22 years, four large (between approximately 1000 and 5000 m3) flowslides in anthropogenic fill materials have occurred in residential areas of the greater Wellington region, New Zealand. Such failures are relatively rare, given that there are over 1600 mapped fill bodies, formed between the early 1900s and present day within the region. Nonetheless, their performance under strong earthquake

For the in situ surrounding rocks of underground excavations, the radial stress corresponding to the minimum principal stress σ3 varies with increasing distance away from the excavated boundary. To characterize the rock failure along the radial direction of an excavation, true triaxial compression tests with different σ3 values (0.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 MPa) were performed. The characteristic

Landslides in the vicinity of reservoirs are prone to generate deadly waves as in the infamous Vajont case. There are more than 3800 landslides in the Three Gorges Reservoir area through detailed geological investigations, which constitutes a serious tsunami threat to the population and properties nearby. The Liangshuijing landslide, a very large creeping landslide located in the region and characterized

In South Korea, the risk of debris-flow is relatively high due to the country's vast mountainous topographical features and intense continuous rainfall during the summer. Debris-flows can result in the loss of human life and severe property damage, which can be made worse due to the poor spatiotemporal predictability of such hazards. Therefore, it is essential to research the preemptive prediction

Deformation zones and fractures are of major importance to engineering and to the characterisation of the mechanical- and hydraulic behaviour of rock. In this paper we demonstrate how structural mapping can provide key information on fracture sets and their properties, and how it can be used to investigate conformity between different working scales. This is shown by the detailed structural mapping

The Sun Pyramid in Teotihuacán, Mexico, belongs to the cultural heritage of Mexico and the world. Built nearly a millennium ago, the Pyramid is poorly known in terms of its mechanical properties. In order to assess these properties, we measured and studied the ambient seismic noise which has become a popular tool to explore non-invasively geological and human-made structures. This research is aimed

Lateral spreading is the main cause of pile foundation damage in liquefaction-prone areas during earthquakes. A soil profile in which a non-liquefied soil is on top of a liquefied soil is a critical design scenario. To investigate the influence of lateral spreading on pile responses in this type of soil profile, a shaking table test was performed on two single piles in the ground with a 2° slope. Considering

Ground-based, interferometric, synthetic aperture radar (GB-InSAR) has been successfully implemented for the monitoring and assessment of both natural and man-made slopes. Its advantages include high-frequency data acquisition and high spatial density, providing maps of displacement. The implementation of this tool for civil projects in remote areas and under severe weather conditions present several

Rock fragmentation by blasting is still among the most challenging of problems in geomechanical engineering. The intent of this work is not to develop a new overall blast fragmentation model as the existing models, like Swebrec (KCO), the Fragmentation-Energy Fan, or the Distribution-Free models, have proven successful. The aim of the study is, however, to review the approaches that have been developed

Stability analyses of slopes have been a hot topic for several decades and numerous methodologies have been introduced since the beginning of these analyses. One of these methodologies is the limit equilibrium theory, and it has been applied in different forms to various cases for almost a hundred years. Although numerous investigations and works have been carried out on this methodology, there are

Thermal damage mechanisms and the characteristics of performance deterioration of a repository host rock is critical for evaluating the potential of an underground coal gasification project. Previously, many studies have primarily focused on the microstructural evolution of various rock types after high-temperature treatment only. However, relatively little is known regarding the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical

Calcareous sand containing weak particles originated from the deposition of skeletal residue of marine organisms is susceptible to significant particle crushing under compression and shearing. The breakage of grains results in excessive deformation and foundation failure. This study focuses on the mechanical properties and particle crushing of calcareous sand retrieved from Nansha Island, South China

We propose a new method to estimate the horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) spectral ratio using microtremor measurements. The technique is based on modeling the H/V transfer function by means of an AutoRegressive Moving Average (ARMA) filter. As compared with the conventional, Fourier-based spectra processing routines, this method is efficient in extracting the fundamental resonant frequency with a higher

The shear behavior of loess is closely related to its microstructural variation. Their relationship is of great significance to better understand the loess landslide mechanism. Consolidated-undrained triaxial tests were performed on natural loess from Yan'an, China, with various initial water contents under different confining pressures to investigate the shear behavior. Scanning electron microscopy

An underestimation of local scouring in loose cohesionless landslide deposits may cause rapid and episodic failure of a hazard mitigation structure. A rock avalanche triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake generated an abundance of erosion-sensitive sediment in Yangjia Gully, resulting in several debris flows. Twelve concrete pile check dams were constructed along the gully to mitigate debris flow

Empirical and numerical methods are widely used in the landslide and slope forecasting fields. The combination of the two methods for prediction is rare. This study proposes a displacement prediction method based on the Verhulst inverse function (VIF) and the random forest (RF) algorithm. The VIF model is applied to describe the kinematic behavior of landslides and slopes based on the three-stage creep

Quantitative risk assessment of landslide-induced surges is often a prerequisite for formulating rational strategies to reduce the disaster severity degree of surrounding residents and infrastructures facilities. In this study, soils are simulated by a random field and the random finite element method is utilized to obtain several relevant parameters (e.g., volume of slide mass, slide velocity, inclination

Loess is a typical soil with the characteristic of water sensitivity, and in the study of water-induced geological disasters of loess distribution areas worldwide, special attention must be paid to the influence of this sensitivity. Hence, quantitative study of the water sensitivity of loess has been a basic scientific issue of wide concern. In this study, the water sensitivity characteristics of loess

Debris flows caused by channel bed erosion present major hazards affecting life, livelihoods, and the built environment in mountainous regions. An efficient way to decrease hazard impact is through reliable hazard forecasts and appropriate early-warning strategies. Rainfall thresholds are fundamental in achieving reliable hazard forecasts. However, a lack of rainfall records often impedes the empirical

Empirically derived rainfall thresholds of debris flows are used for regional-scale early warning. However, triggering rainfall intensities of post-seismic debris flows evolve with time, causing high false alarms since thresholds estimated by conventional methods ignore the uncertainty of non-triggering rainfall events. Based on 172 triggering rainfalls and 2396 non-triggering rainfalls from 2008 to

Early warning signals of critical transitions in rock before its sudden failure are key for forecasting geological disasters in rock engineering. Here we examined the critical slowing down characteristics of acoustic emission (AE) and precursory signals preceding catastrophic rock failure. We conducted laboratory experiments on different types of rock specimens subjected to tension and compression

The overflow behavior of polydisperse granular flows against closed type barrier is a crucial yet poorly understood aspect of multiple-barrier design. We use a robust numerical model based on the three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) to simulate polydisperse granular flows and identify fundamental mechanisms. The morphology of the dead zone behind the upstream barrier significantly influences

The cost of sourcing material for cover material is often a barrier to implementation of multilayer covers to reclaim mined waste or other disturbed land. This study investigated the use of municipal biosolids blended with stabilizing materials as a low-permeability material in covers with capillary barrier effects (CCBEs) for reactive mine tailings. A blended biosolids referred to as Custom Reclamation

Soil-rock mixture (S-RM) is a complex geo-material characterized by competent rock inclusions floating in a weaker soil matrix structure. The mechanical performances of it are significantly controlled by the interaction and properties of rock blocks and the external environment. In this study, experiments on S-RM were conducted through a large-scale triaxial apparatus for investigating the effects

In underground excavations, different failure features can be induced by complex geological stresses. Therefore, many researchers have investigated rock behaviour and failure mechanisms under high-stress conditions. This study investigated the different failure characteristics to determine the stress-induced cracking mechanisms. Accordingly, a series of tests were performed on a volcanic rock (rhyodacite)

Laboratory tests revealed that by enhancing the weathering degree, a transition of pre-peak stress-strain mechanical responses of crystalline rocks under unconfined compression from approximate linearity to nonlinearity was evident, as was the weakening of macro-mechanical properties. However, thus far, very few numerical studies have been conducted to quantitatively characterize the strong-to-weak

Seismic cone penetration test (SCPTu) has been used for the determination of seismic velocities and the corresponding stiffness parameters of intact soils. In this study, SCPTu tests are carried out at three reclaimed land sites in Singapore for characterizing the reclaimed fill and the underlying marine clay. New methods for interpreting the downhole-type shear wave velocity, Vs, are adopted. The

This paper presents an update of the Hyperbolic Function (HBF) method to evaluate the liquefaction potential of sandy soils. The HBF method was created after the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan Earthquake (Mw = 7.6) using the database of case histories developed based on field observations and in situ and laboratory tests in areas affected by the 1999 event. The updated HBF method reported herein reflects the

The role of microseismic monitoring in rock slope stability has been long established: large microseismic events associated with rock failure can be detected by seismometers, even at distances of a few kilometres from the source. This is a favourable characteristic for the monitoring of mountainous areas prone to failure. We show that microseismic monitoring, using short-period arrays and a sufficiently

Identifying the dynamic damping ratio attenuation behaviour of mudded intercalations with small and medium strain is valuable. This work aimed at exploring a correction model to describe the relationship between the dynamic damping ratio and small and medium dynamic strain. The impacts factors included (i) dynamic strain, (ii) confining pressure, (iii) water content, (iv) clay content, and (v) frequency

In this paper, we present a suitable integration of discrete and continuous data in a unique methodology based on systematically collected landslide inventory data. Eleven landslide conditioning factors were analyzed and used, where eight correspond to DEM–derived variables, and three to thematic polygon–type variables (shallow geology, geomorphology and soil land–use). Principal Component Analysis

This study investigates the role of mechanical layering and fractures on flood-related erosional undercutting and resulting rapid spillway recession. In the summer of 2002, 86 cm of rain fell in an 8-day period across the Guadalupe River drainage basin in central Texas, causing Canyon Lake reservoir to completely fill and overtop the emergency spillway for the first time. The resulting flood incised

Sandy soils produced from offshore engineering and dredging activities usually possess a fine fraction beyond the “transitional fine content”. The soils have a wide range initial water content and sand fraction. Previous models based on mixture theory is not straightforward, and the effect of initial water content is not explicitly incorporated. To this end, a novel compression model is formulated

Thermal cycles can remarkably alter the geological and resistance properties of soil beneath structures. This research examined the effect of simultaneous use of glass fiber and nano-SiO2 on strength properties of low plasticity clay (CL) under various thermal cycles. The contents of glass fiber and nano-SiO2 were chosen 1.5%, 2.5%, 3.5% and 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% of the soil dry weight, respectively. The

Swelling soils are problematic in terms of geotechnics, and they require mitigation actions in preliminary works. The most commonly used method to mitigate the damage caused by swelling soils is to stabilize the soil with chemical additives by using shallow mixing or column techniques. It is important to determine the most suitable additive material and the most appropriate technique when stabilizing

The input parameters of dynamic numerical models for landslide run-out distance simulations cannot be measured accurately, which results in significant uncertainties in the predictions obtained using these models. To address this issue, a novel framework combining probabilistic back analyses and probabilistic predictions of landslide run-out distance is developed in this study, with the aim of ensuring

Many existing earth dams have been designed and built worldwide before the establishment of a seismic code, so that it is of relevant interest to evaluate their seismic performance and post-seismic operational conditions. This requires an accurate geotechnical characterisation of the dam and foundation soils, a proper definition of the seismic scenarios at the site of the dam, the use of simplified

One of the most important controlling parameters of the seismic site response in terms of earthquake ground motions modification is the shear wave velocity (Vs) profile of the subsoil, that generally increases with depth because of geological age, cementation and overburden stress. There exist, however, geological settings where the velocity profile is characterized by inversions, when a stiffer layer

The geotechnical behavior of a mixture of kaolinite and vinyl polymers with different monomer types was investigated using a series of laboratory tests. Three polymers were selected for chemical treating including synthesized poly(styrene-co-butyl acrylate) and poly(methyl methacrylate–co-butyl acrylate), and one commercial polyvinyl acetate. All these polymers were chosen to have a similar glass transition