Modelling the Control of Groundwater on the Development of Colliery Spoil Tip Failures in Wales

Lingfeng He (), John Coggan, Patrick Foster, Tikondane Phiri and Matthew Eyre
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Lingfeng He: Hangzhou International Innovation Institute, Beihang University, Hangzhou 311115, China
John Coggan: Camborne School of Mines, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
Patrick Foster: Camborne School of Mines, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
Tikondane Phiri: Camborne School of Mines, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
Matthew Eyre: Camborne School of Mines, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: Legacy colliery spoil tip failures pose a significant hazard that can result in harm to persons or damage to property and infrastructure. In this research, the 2020 Wattstown tip landslide caused by heavy rainfall was examined to investigate the likely mechanisms and developmental factors contributing to colliery spoil tip failures in Welsh coalfields. To achieve this, an integrated method was proposed through the combination of remote sensing mapping, stability chart analysis, 2D limit equilibrium (LE) modelling, and 3D finite difference method (FDM) analysis. Various water table geometries were incorporated into these models to ascertain the specific groundwater condition that triggered the occurrence of the 2020 landslide. In addition, sensitivity analyses were carried out to assess the influence of the colliery spoil properties (i.e., cohesion, friction angle, and porosity) on the slope stability analysis. The results indicate that the landslide was characterised by a shallow rotational failure mode and spatially constrained by the critical water table and an underlying geological interface. In addition, the results also imply that the landslide was triggered by the rise of water table associated with heavy rainfall. Through sensitivity analysis, it was found that the properties of the colliery spoil played an important role in confining the extent of the landslide and controlling the process of its development. The findings underscore the detrimental effects of increased pore pressures, induced by heavy rainfall, on the stability of colliery tips, highlighting the urgent needs for local government to enhance water management strategies for this region.

Keywords: colliery spoil; landslide; groundwater; 3D finite difference method; numerical modelling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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