• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.57-67
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• 2023

Slope failures during rainfall have been observed in mountainous areas of South Korea as a result of the presence of solar power facilities. The seepage behavior and pore pressure distribution differ from typical slopes due to the presence of impermeable solar panels, and the load imposed by the solar power structures also affects the slope behavior. This study aims to develop a method for evaluating the stability of slopes with solar power facilities and to analyze vulnerable points by considering the maximum slope displacement. To assess the slope stability and predict behavior while considering rainfall seepage, a combined seepage analysis and finite difference method numerical analysis were employed. For the selected site, various variables were assumed, including parameters related to the Soil Water Characteristic Curve, strength parameters that satisfy the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, soil properties, and topographic factors such as slope angle and bedrock depth. The factors with the most significant influence on the factor of safety (FOS) were identified. The presence of solar power facilities was found to affect the seepage distribution and FOS, resulting in a decreasing trend due to rainfall seepage. The maximum displacement points were concentrated near the upper (crest) and lower (toe) sections of the slope.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.5-11
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• 2008

Seepage induced earthern slope failures occurs in concert with meteorological events when large quantities of groundwater are channeled into slopes through infiltration. The presence of flowing groundwater in earthern slopes can induce ground failures that result in significant property damage and potential loss of life. Seepage induced earthen slope failures represent a serious problem in geotechnical engineering. This research applies existing fluid-solid numerical modeling capabilities to the study and prediction of seepage induced earthen slope failures. Study of the targeted application holds potential for much needed advances in geotechnical engineering analysis technology which could be used to design more effective engineering slope stabilization interventions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.88-92
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• 2004

The paper decribes a procedure for the evaluation of the effect of seepage force on stability of slopes. The stability of an embankment impounding a water reservoir is highly depend upon the location of seepage line with the embankment. To evaluate the accurate safety factor of an embankment, it is important to illustrate the seepage phenomenon. Of particular interest is the stability following a rapid change of reservoir level. Seepage forces in embankments are easily determined interest is the stability following a rapid change of resrvoir level. Seepage forces in embankments are easily detemined if frictional forces are expressed in relation to hydraulic gradient I. If a piezometer is inserted into a body of embankment, the level to which fee water rises is a measure of the energy at that point.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.41-50
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• 2004

The study of seepage behavior is very important to slope stability of road landfill for heavy rainfall season. This study is done to propose more stable of road landfill based on analysis of seepage behavior and slope stability for some cases of road landfill. The selected sections of collapsed road landfill are most general case of road landfill, a case is landfill on the ground area and another case is on the slope area. The results of this study is summarized as follows. It is founded that the road landfill on the ground area is increased saturation region due to rainfall infiltration, and the seepage behavior of road landfill is solved by theory of unsaturated flow. The road landfill is more unstable due to rainfall infiltration at the slope surface, especially during heavy rainfall. The case of road landfill on the slope area is analyzed in consideration of slope surface infiltration, and it is founded that the slope instability is increased because of rainfall infiltration. The drain layer located on the original ground which made by more permeable materials could be good action of slope stability in the case of road landfill on the slope area.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

Numerical stability analysis of an unsaturated infinite slope under rainfall-induced infiltration conditions was performed using generalized effective stress to unify both saturated and unsaturated conditions The soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) of sand with a relative density of 75% was initially measured for both drying and wetting processes. The hydraulic conductivity function (HCF) and suction stress characteristic curve (SSCC) were subsequently estimated. Under the rainfall-induced infiltration conditions, transient seepage analysis of an unsaturated infinite slope was performed using the finite element analysis program, SEEP/W. Based on these results, the stability of an unsaturated infinite slope under rainfall-induced infiltration conditions was examined in relation to suction stress. According to the results, the negative pore-water pressure and water content within the slope soil changed over time due to the infiltration. In addition, the variation of the negative pore-water pressure and water content led to a variation in suction stress and a subsequent change in the slope's factor of safety during the rainfall period.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.35-43
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• 2010

Partially saturated permeability should be defined by the function of suction (or degree of saturation) and porosity. However, commercial software and most researchers' model often describe as the function of suction. The stability of a soil slope can be affected by both hydraulic and shear strength properties of partially saturated soils. For both studies, we generally use an uncoupled seepage analysis program Seep/W(Geo-Slope, 2007) and a series stress-deformation analysis program Sigma/W, or slope stability analysis program Slope/W. Seep/W is performed for simulations of partially saturated flow problems in non-deformable soil media. However, under real situations, the water flow processes in a deformable soil are influenced by soil skeleton movement and the pore water pressure changed due to seepage will lead to changes in stresses and to deformation of a soil. Many researchers are currently developing their models for solving coupled hydro-mechanical problems to simulate slope stability during a rainstorm. For a proper implementation in the field, the developed model should be still needed in order to achieve appropriate accuracy of the solution for coupled hydro-mechanical problems in soil slope stability. Thus, the paper presents the comparison of slope stability between uncoupled and coupled analyses of seepage and stress deformation problems.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.23-30
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• 2012

This paper is research results of slope stability analysis associated with seepage infiltration for unsaturated soil in debris-flow occurrence slopes. Site investigations were carried out in two slopes, located at Inje in Kangwon province where debris flow occurred in 2006 and at Yangpyung in Kyeunggi province where it occurred in 2010. For unsaturated soil sampled at the zone of debris-flow initiation, soil water characteristic curves with tempe pressure cells and shear strength parameters with newly designed shear strength apparatus were obtained respectively. The commertially available software SEEP/W was used to analyze seepage infiltration in unsaturated soil, based on their properties obtained from test results and the actual rainfall data at the moment of debris flow occurrence, and slope stability analysis with the program of SLOPE/W, associated with results of seepage analysis, was performed to simulate slope failure. As results of this research, seepage infiltration to unsaturated soil due to intensive rainfall was found to cause increase of ground water table as well as degree of saturation. Through this research slope stability analysis for unsaturated soil, considering the actual rainfall characteristic, might be a reasonable method of investigating characteristics of debris flow behavior, in particular, the moment of debris flow occurrence.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.353-370
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• 2017

This paper presents a case study and numerical investigation to study the hydro-mechanical response of a shallow landslide in unsaturated slopes subjected to rainfall infiltration using a coupled model. The coupled model was interpreted in details by expressing the balance equations for soil mixture and the coupled constitutive equations. The coupled model was verified against experimental data from the shearing-infiltration triaxial tests. A real case of shallow landslide occurred on Mt. Umyeonsan, Seoul, Korea was employed to explore the influence of rainfall infiltration on the slope stability during heavy rainfall. Numerical results showed that the coupled model accurately predicted the poromechanical behavior of a rainfall-induced landslide by simultaneously linking seepage and stress-strain problems. It was also found that the coupled model properly described progress failure of a slope in a highly transient condition. Through the comparisons between the coupled and uncoupled models, the coupled model provided more realistic analysis results under rainfall. Consequently, the coupled model was found to be feasible for the stability and seepage analysis of practical engineering problems.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.33-41
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• 2017

In this study, the increment effect of safety factor according to increasing of horizontal permeability coefficient is analyzed when geocell is installed on the slope for protection. To evaluate the horizontal permeability and reinforcement effect, the laboratory tests such horizontal permeability test were conducted. According to the laboratory test results, as the porosity rate of geocell increases, the coefficient of horizontal permeability is also increased. And also, regardless of the different types of filled materials, the coefficient of horizontal permeability is improved in a geocell reinforced ground compare with the non-reinforced ground. Laboratory test results and the rainfall intensity were applied to the numerical modeling of slope for seepage analysis and stability analysis of slope by using Soilworks, numerical analysis program. As a result of the slope stability analysis, it is confirmed that the installed geocell on the slope facilitates the drainage of water on the surface of slope. Hence, the ground water elevation is suppressed. Therefore, the safety factor of the slope is increased by the increasing of the internal friction angle, apparent cohesion, and coefficient of horizontal permeability by reinforcing the slope with geocell.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.27-39
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• 2023

To effectively manage flood risk, it is crucial to assess the stability of flood defense structures like levees under extreme flood conditions. This study focuses on the time-dependent probabilistic assessment of embankment slope stability when subjected to rapid water level drops. We integrate seepage analysis results from finite element analysis with slope stability analysis and employ Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the time-dependent behavior of the slope during rapid drawdown. The resulting probability of failure is used to develop fragility curves for the levee slope. Notably, the probability of slope failure remains low up to a specific water level, sharply increasing beyond that threshold. Furthermore, the fragility curves are strongly influenced by the rate of drawdown, which is determined through hydraulic analysis based on flood scenarios. Climate change has a significant impact on the stability of the water-side slope of the embankment due to water level fluctuations.