Slope Stability Analysis of Unsaturated Soil Slopes Based on the Site-Specific Characteristics: A Case Study of Hwangryeong Mountain, Busan, Korea

Sinhang Kang, Seung-Rae Lee and Sung-Eun Cho
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Sinhang Kang: School of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, Korea
Seung-Rae Lee: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
Sung-Eun Cho: Department of Civil, Safety, and Environmental Engineering, Hankyong National University, Gyeonggi 17579, Korea

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: Shallow slope failures occur almost every year during the rainy season. Continuous observation of the meteorological parameters and hydrological characteristics is required to more clearly understand the triggering mechanisms of shallow slope failure. In addition, influential factors, such as type of relative permeability models, air flow, and variation of hydraulic conductivity associated with stress–strain behavior of soil, have significant effects on the actual mechanism of rainfall infiltration. Real-time data including hourly rainfall and pore water pressure in response to rainfall was recorded by devices; then, the change in pore pressure from the devices was compared to the results from the infiltration analysis with applications of three relative permeability models, air flow, and the coupled hydro-mechanical analysis to examine an appropriate site-specific approach to a rainfall infiltration analysis. The infiltration and stability analyses based on the site-specific hydrologic characteristics were utilized to create maps of safety factors that depend on the cumulative rainfall. In regions vulnerable to landslides, rainfall forecast information and safety factor maps built by applying various rainfall scenarios can be useful in preparing countermeasures against disasters during the rainy season.

Keywords: slope stability; unsaturated soil slope; rainfall infiltration; landslide hazard assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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