On the Soil Slope Failure Mechanism Considering the Mutual Effect of Bedrock and Drawdown
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21, Issue 2
Abstract
In reservoirs and embankment areas, frequent water-level fluctuations, especially water drawdowns, often produce instability problems or landslides in the slopes overlying bedrocks. A series of centrifuge model tests were conducted on three slopes overlying bedrocks with different shapes and a slope without the bedrock under drawdown conditions. Full-field displacement of the slopes was obtained for analyses using an image-based system during the tests. The slip surfaces of the slopes overlying bedrocks all emerge at the top of the slopes and then extend to the bottom under drawdown conditions. The slip surface of the slope without the bedrock is the bounding surface for those slopes overlying bedrocks under drawdown conditions. The drawdown-induced deformation area of the slopes is first restricted to a certain range and then gradually expands during drawdown and finally stabilizes. The coupling development of the deformation localization and local failure during drawdown illustrates the progressive failure mechanism of the slope overlying the bedrock. Different shapes of the bedrocks would change the deformation localization characteristics of the slopes and hence significantly change the failure characteristics of the slopes, such as the slip surface, failure process, and safety limit.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The study is supported by the Open Research Fund Program of the State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering (sklhse-2020-D-03), the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFC1508503), and the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program.
References
Bandara, S., A. Ferrari, and L. Laloui. 2016. “Modelling landslides in unsaturated slopes subjected to rainfall infiltration using material point method.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech. 40 (9): 1358–1380. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.2499.
Brönnimann, C., M. Stähli, P. Schneider, L. Seward, and S. M. Springman. 2013. “Bedrock exfiltration as a triggering mechanism for shallow landslides.” Water Resour. Res. 49 (9): 5155–5167. https://doi.org/10.1002/wrcr.20386.
Cascini, L., S. Cuomo, M. Pastor, and G. Sorbin. 2010. “Modeling of rainfall-induced shallow landslides of the flow-type.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 136 (1): 85–98. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000182.
Gao, Y. F., D. S. Zhu, F. Zhang, G. H. Lei, and H. Y. Qin. 2014. “Stability analysis of three-dimensional slopes under water drawdown conditions.” Can. Geotech. J. 51 (11): 1355–1364. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2013-0448.
He, X., D. Liang, and M. D. Bolton. 2018. “Run-out of cut-slope landslides: Mesh-free simulations.” Géotechnique 68 (1): 50–63. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.16.P.221.
Huang, M. S., and C. Q. Jia. 2009. “Strength reduction FEM in stability analysis of soil slopes subjected to transient unsaturated seepage.” Comput. Geotech. 36 (1–2): 93–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2008.03.006.
Jian, W. X., Q. Xu, H. F. Yang, and F. W. Wang. 2014. “Mechanism and failure process of Qianjiangping landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China.” Environ. Earth Sci. 72 (8): 2999–3013. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3205-x.
Kaunda, R. B. 2010. “A linear regression framework for predicting subsurface geometries and displacement rates in deep-seated, slow-moving landslides.” Eng. Geol. 114 (1–2): 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2010.03.004.
Lehmann, P., and D. Or. 2012. “Hydromechanical triggering of landslides: From progressive local failures to mass release.” Water Resour. Res. 48 (3): 3535. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011WR010947.
Li, M., G. Zhang, J. M. Zhang, and C. F. Lee. 2011. “Centrifuge model tests on a cohesive soil slope under excavation conditions.” Soils Found. 51 (5): 801–812. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.51.801.
Li, W. C., F. C. Dai, Y. Q. Wei, M. L. Wang, H. Min, and L. M. Lee. 2016. “Implication of subsurface flow on rainfall-induced landslide: A case study.” Landslides 13 (5): 1109–1123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-015-0619-9.
Liang, C., M. B. Jaksa, B. Ostendorf, and Y. L. Kuo. 2015. “Influence of river level fluctuations and climate on riverbank stability.” Comput. Geotech. 63: 83–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2014.08.012.
Lu, S., J. Liu, and G. Lin. 2016. “Hamiltonian-based derivation of the high-performance scaled-boundary finite-element method applied to the complex multilayered soil field in time domain.” Int. J. Geomech. 16 (4): 04015098. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000598.
Luo, F. Y., and G. Zhang. 2016. “Progressive failure behavior of cohesive soil slopes under water drawdown conditions.” Environ. Earth Sci. 75 (11): 973. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5802-3.
Luo, F. Y., G. Zhang, Y. Liu, and C. H. Ma. 2018. “Centrifuge modeling of the geotextile reinforced slope subject to drawdown.” Geotext. Geomembr. 46 (1): 11–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2017.09.001.
Ng, C. W. W., V. Kamchoom, and A. K. Leung. 2016. “Centrifuge modelling of the effects of root geometry on transpiration-induced suction and stability of vegetated slopes.” Landslides 13 (5): 925–938. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-015-0645-7.
Ozer, A. T., and L. G. Bromwell. 2012. “Stability assessment of an earth dam on silt/clay tailings foundation: A case study.” Eng. Geol. 151: 89–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2012.09.011.
Piccinini, L., M. Berti, A. Simoni, A. R. Bernardi, M. Ghirotti, and A. Gargini. 2014. “Slope stability and groundwater flow system in the area of Lizzano in Belvedere (northern Apennines, Italy).” Eng. Geol. 183: 276–289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.09.002.
Stark, T. D., N. H. Jafari, A. L. Leopold, and T. L. Brandon. 2014. “Soil compressibility in transient unsaturated seepage analyses.” Can. Geotech. J. 51 (8): 858–868. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2013-0255.
Sun, G., Y. Huang, C. Li, and H. Zheng. 2016. “Formation mechanism, deformation characteristics and stability analysis of Wujiang landslide near Centianhe reservoir dam.” Eng. Geol. 211: 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2016.06.025.
Switala, B. M., and W. Wu. 2018. “Numerical modelling of rainfall-induced instability of vegetated slopes.” Géotechnique 68 (6): 481–491. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.16.P.176.
Take, W. A., R. A. Beddoe, R. Davoodi-Bilesavar, and R. Phillips. 2015. “Effect of antecedent groundwater conditions on the triggering of static liquefaction landslides.” Landslides 12 (3): 469–479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-014-0496-7.
Tsatsis, A., F. Gelagoti, and G. Gazetas. 2018. “Performance of a buried pipeline along the dip of a slope experiencing accidental sliding.” Géotechnique 68 (11): 968–988. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.17.P.029.
Vandamme, J., and Q. P. Zou. 2013. “Investigation of slope instability induced by seepage and erosion by a particle method.” Comput. Geotech. 48: 9–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2012.09.009.
Viratjandr, C., and R. L. Michalowski. 2006. “Limit analysis of submerged slopes subjected to water drawdown.” Can. Geotech. J. 43 (8): 802–814. https://doi.org/10.1139/t06-042.
Wang, J. J., H. P. Zhang, L. Zhang, and Y. Liang. 2012. “Experimental study on heterogeneous slope responses to drawdown.” Eng. Geol. 147–148: 52–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2012.07.020.
Wang, Y. L., G. Zhang, and A. X. Wang. 2017. “Progressive failure behavior and mechanism of soil slopes under dynamic loading conditions.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (4): 04016102. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000802.
Xu, L., F. Dai, X. Tu, L. G. Tham, Y. Zhou, and J. Iqbal. 2013. “Landslides in a loess platform, North-West China.” Landslides 11 (6): 993–1005. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-013-0445-x.
Zhang, G., Y. Hu, and J. M. Zhang. 2009. “New image analysis-based displacement-measurement system for geotechnical centrifuge modeling tests.” Measurement 42 (1): 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2008.04.002.
Zhang, G., and L. P. Wang. 2016. “Integrated analysis of a coupled mechanism for the failure processes of pile-reinforced slopes.” Acta Geotech. 11 (4): 941–952. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-015-0410-z.
Zhang, S., Q. Xu, and Q. Zhang. 2017. “Failure characteristics of gently inclined shallow landslides in Nanjiang, southwest of China.” Eng. Geol. 217: 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2016.11.025.
Zhang, T. T., E. C. Yan, J. T. Cheng, and Y. Zheng. 2010. “Mechanism of reservoir water in the deformation of Hefeng landslide.” J. Earth Sci. 21 (6): 870–875. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-010-0139-4.
Zhao, Y. Y., G. Zhang, D. S. Hu, and Y. Z. Han. 2018. “Centrifuge model test study on failure behavior of soil slopes overlying the bedrock.” Int. J. Geomech. 18 (11): 04018144. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001292.
Zhou, Y. D., Z. C. Qu, W. J. Zhang, and Z. B. Wang. 2019. “SPH simulation on the coupled failure of slope-building adjacent to water triggered by the rapid drawdown of water level.” Math. Prob. Eng. 2019: 8956198. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8956198.
Zhu, D., D. V. Griffiths, and G. A. Fenton. 2019. “Worst-case spatial correlation length in probabilistic slope stability analysis.” Géotechnique 69 (1): 85–88. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.17.T.050.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21 • Issue 2 • February 2021
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 24, 2020
Accepted: Sep 4, 2020
Published online: Nov 19, 2020
Published in print: Feb 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Apr 19, 2021
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.