Case Study: Oso, Washington, Landslide of March 22, 2014—Material Properties and Failure Mechanism
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VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 5
Abstract
This paper describes investigation, testing, analysis, and slope history used to determine the two-phase failure mechanism involved in the 2014 landslide near Oso, Washington. The first phase involves a slide mass located above the frequent landslides in the lower portion of the slope and extends to near the slope crest. This slide mass had a large potential energy, which moved downslope, and pushed the water-filled colluvium that had accumulated along the slope toe across the valley, resulting in it flowing almost 1.5 km. Evacuation of the Phase I slide mass left the upper portion of the slope unbuttressed and oversteepened, causing a second landslide (Phase II) but it primarily remained on the source slope because the back edge of the Phase I slide mass prevented further movement and the dense and unsaturated upper soils did not undergo a significant strength loss like the water-filled colluvium.
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Acknowledgments
The contents and views in this paper are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of any of the represented corporations, agencies, organizations, and/or contributors. The authors acknowledge the information, site access, and samples provided by Snohomish County, information provided by the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and the financial support provided by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This support is gratefully acknowledged. It is also acknowledged that Oldrich Hungr is participating in some of the litigation matters related to the landslide.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 143 • Issue 5 • May 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 19, 2016
Accepted: Jul 18, 2016
Published online: Jan 18, 2017
Published in print: May 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Jun 18, 2017
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