Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society (한국지반환경공학회 논문집)

Korean Geo-Environmental Society (한국지반환경공학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Effect of Extreme Rainfall on Cut Slope Stability: Case Study in Yen Bai City, Viet Nam

  • Tran, The Viet (Division of Geotechnical Engineering, Water Resources University, Department of Construction and Disaster Prevention Engineering, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Trinh, Minh Thu (Division of Geotechnical Engineering, Water Resources University) ;
  • Lee, Giha (Department of Construction and Disaster Prevention Engineering, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Oh, Sewook (Department of Construction and Disaster Prevention Engineering, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Nguyen, Thi Hai Van (Vietnam Institute of GeoSciences and Mineral Resources (VIGMR))
  • Received : 2014.12.30
  • Accepted : 2015.03.03
  • Published : 2015.04.01
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

This paper addresses the effects of extreme rainfall on the stability of cut slopes in Yen Bai city, Northern Viet Nam. In this area, natural slopes are excavated to create places for infrastructures and buildings. Cut slopes are usually made without proper site investigations; the design is mostly based on experience. In recent years, many slope failures have occurred along these cuts especially in rainy seasons, resulting in properties damaged and loss of lives. To explain the reason that slope failure often happens during rainy seasons, this research analyzed the influence of extreme rainfalls, initial ground conditions, and soil permeability on the changes of pore water pressure within the typical slope, thereafter determining the impact of these changes on the slope stability factor of safety. The extreme rainfalls were selected based on all of the rainfalls triggering landslide events that have occurred over the period from 1960 to 2009. The factor of safety (FS) was calculated using Bishop's simplified method. The results show that when the maximum infiltration capacity of the slope top soil is less than the rainfall intensity, slope failures may occur 14 hours after the rain starts. And when this happens, the rainfall duration is the deciding factor that affects the slope FS values. In short, cut slopes in Yen Bai may be stable in normal conditions after the excavation, but under the influence of tropical rain storms, their stability is always questionable.

Keywords

References

  1. Aleotti, P. (2004), A warning system for rainfall - induced shallow failures, Engineering Geology, Vol. 73, No. 3, pp. 247-265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2004.01.007
  2. Anderson, S. A., Sitar, N. and ASCE, M. (1995), Analysis of rainfall induced debris flows, Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 121, No. 7, pp. 544-522. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1995)121:7(544)
  3. Brand, E. W. (1981), Some thoughts on rain - induced slope failures. Proc. 10th Int. Conf. Soil Mech. Found. Eng., Stockholm, pp. 373-376.
  4. Chen, H., Lee, C. H. and Law, K. T. (2004), Causative mechanisms of rainfall-induced fill slope, Journal of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, Vol. 130, No. 6, pp. 593-602. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2004)130:6(593)
  5. Cheng, Y. M. and Lau, C. K. (2008), Slope stability analysis and stabilization: New methods and insight. New York, Taylor & Francis, p. 16.
  6. Cho, S. E. and Lee, S. R. (2001), Instability of unsaturated soil slopes due to infiltration, Computer and Geotechnics, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 185-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-352X(00)00027-6
  7. Collins, B. D., Znidarcic, D., ASCE, S. M. and ASCE, M. (2004), Stability analyses of rainfall induced landslides, Journal of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, Vol. 130, No. 4, pp. 362-373. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2004)130:4(362)
  8. Craig, R. F. (2004), Craig's soil mechanics. London, Chapman & Hall, p. 348.
  9. Fredlund, D. G. (1995), The stability of slopes with negative pore-water pressures. Ian Boyd Donald Symposium on Modern Developments in Geomechanics, Melbourne, Monash University, pp. 99-116.
  10. Fredlund, D. G., Morgenstern, N. R. and Widger, R. A. (1978), The Shear strength of unsaturated soils, Canadian Geotech Journal, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 313-321. https://doi.org/10.1139/t78-029
  11. Fredlund, D. G. and Rahardjo, H. (1993), An overview of unsaturated soil behavior, Proceeding of ASCE Convention, Dallas, Geotechnical Special Publication, Vol. 39, pp. 1-31.
  12. Fredlund, M. D., Fredlund, D. G., Wilson, G. W. and Sillers, W. S. (1996), Design of a knowledge - based system for unsaturated soil properties. The Canadian Conference on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering. Montreal, Quebec, pp. 659-677.
  13. Holtz, R. D. and Kovacs, W. D. (1981), An introduction to geotechnical engineering. New Jersey, Prentice Hall, p. 490.
  14. Hossain, M. K. (2010), Effect of rainfall on matric suction and stability of a residual granite soil slope, DUET Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 37-41.
  15. Huat, B. B. K., Sew, G. S. and Ali, F. H. (2009), Tropical residual soils engineering. London, YK, Taylors & Francis Group plc, p. 73.
  16. Huong, N. T. N. and Thu, T. M. (2013), Application of unsaturated soil properties in slope stability analysis for Sat river earth-fill dam.Geotechnics for Sustainable Development- Geotech Hanoi 2013, Hanoi, pp. 593-600.
  17. Krahn, J. (2004), Stability modeling with SLOPE/W - An engineering methodology. Alberta, Canada, GEO-SLOPE/W International Ltd, p. 374.
  18. Lee, S. R. and Cho, S. E. (2001), Instability of unsaturated soil slopes due to infiltration, Computers and Geotechnics, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 185-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-352X(00)00027-6
  19. Liu, C. and Evett, J. B. (2005), Soils and Foundation. Singapore: Prentice - Hall, p. 432.
  20. Matsushi, Y. and Matsukara, Y. (2007), Rainfall thresholds for shallow landsliding derived from pressure- head monitoring: cases with permeable and impermeable bedrocks in Boso Peninsula, Japan, Earth Surface Processes & Landforms, Vol. 32, No. 9, pp. 1308-1322. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1491
  21. McLean, A. C. and Gribble, C. D. (1985), Geology for civil engineers. University of Glasgow, Taylor & Francis, p. 70.
  22. Mein, R. G. and Larson, C. L. (1973), Modelling infiltration during a steady rain, Water Resources Research, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 384-396. https://doi.org/10.1029/WR009i002p00384
  23. Ng, C. W. W. and Shi, Q. (1998), A numerical investigation of the stability of unsaturated soil slopes subjected to transient seepage, Elsevier Science Ltd, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 1-28.
  24. Rahardjo, H., Ong, T. H., Rezaur, R. B. and Leong, E. C. (2007), Factors controlling instability of homogenous soil slopes under rainfall, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineer, Vol. 133, No. 12, pp. 1532-1543. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2007)133:12(1532)
  25. Rupke, J., Huisman, M. and Kruse, H. M. G. (2007), Stability of man - made slopes, Eng Geology, Vol. 91, No. 1, pp. 16-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2006.12.009
  26. Viet, T. T. (2011), Stability assessment of man - made slopes, a case study in Yen Bai. Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands, Master Thesis, pp. 1-69.
  27. Yuan, C. C., Chien, C. T., Chieh, Y. F., Hui, Y. W. and Chieh, T. C. (2005), Rainfall duration and debris - flow initiated studies for real - time monitoring, Environ Geol, Vol. 47, No. 5, pp. 715-724. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-004-1203-0

Cited by

  1. Comparing the performance of TRIGRS and TiVaSS in spatial and temporal prediction of rainfall-induced shallow landslides vol.76, pp.8, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6635-4
  2. A Non-Linear, Time-Variant Approach to Simulate the Rainfall-Induced Slope Failure of an Unsaturated Soil Slope: A Case Study in Sapa, Vietnam vol.16, pp.4, 2021, https://doi.org/10.20965/jdr.2021.p0512
  3. Landslide Investigation Results in Sapa Town, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam in December 2019 vol.16, pp.4, 2015, https://doi.org/10.20965/jdr.2021.p0547