Development of a Highway Slope Failure Warning System Using Field Instrumentation
Publication: Geo-Congress 2024
ABSTRACT
Rainfall-induced slope failure is a major problem for highways made of highly plastic clay in the southern United States. Alternative wet-dry cycles and seasonal moisture variation lead to recurring shrink-swell of soil. In Mississippi, sustained perched water conditions within highway slopes due to increased rainfall have exacerbated this problem. Real-time monitoring of soil moisture content and matric suction can aid highway authorities in detecting overall structural health and early slope failure. This study aims to develop a protocol for an early warning system for highway slope failures made of highly plastic clay based on field instrumentation data. A slope in Jackson, Mississippi, was instrumented with moisture sensors, water potential probes, and rain gauges. The data obtained from field instrumentation, including moisture content, matric suction, and rainfall, were analyzed to develop an early detection protocol. The analysis conducted based on the field-instrumentation data revealed the presence of a perched water zone, and a trend of slope movement associated with it was predicted. This finding was verified by the profiles through electrical resistivity imaging, where the lower resistivity meaning the existence of water within the soil profile clearly indicated the presence of the perched water zone. A slope movement trend was observed from the inclinometer data. The comprehensive analysis of the instrumentation data led to the development of a protocol that can aid highway authorities in detecting slope failure at an early stage using field instrumentations.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Geo-Congress 2024
Pages: 698 - 708
History
Published online: Feb 22, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Analysis (by type)
- Data analysis
- Engineering fundamentals
- Equipment and machinery
- Failure analysis
- Field tests
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Highway and road management
- Highway transportation
- Highways and roads
- Infrastructure
- Instrumentation
- Material failures
- Materials characterization
- Materials engineering
- Methodology (by type)
- Research methods (by type)
- Slopes
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil water
- Tests (by type)
- Transportation engineering
Authors
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