A loess landslide induced by excavation and rainfall | Landslides Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

A loess landslide induced by excavation and rainfall

  • Technical Note
  • Published:
Landslides Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The initiation of loess landslides is a common engineering problem during the construction of the expressway or other engineering works in the Loess Plateau of China. The engineers and researchers should devote themselves to the prevention of the initiation of loess landslides. This study focused on a loess landslide which was induced during the construction of an expressway in Shanxi Province of China. The stabilities of the loess hillside slope before and after excavation were analyzed using limit equilibrium analysis method and the strength reduction finite element method, respectively. The analysis results indicated that the loess hillside slope, before excavation, was stable under both natural state and rainfall conditions. The collapse of the loess hillside slope, or the initiation of loess landslides, after having been excavated, was induced by excavation and rainfall. The integrated stabilization method including four parts was used to stabilize the loess landslide. The four parts were a reinforced concrete piles row, a rubble concrete retaining wall, alteration of slope geometry, and interception and drainage of water. The initiation of the loess landslide might be evitable if it was given enough attention before excavation; thus, the problem of loess landslides should be paid big attention during the survey and design of the engineering works, not only during the construction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
¥17,985 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Japan)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

References

  • Abramson LW, Lee TS, Sharma S, Boyce GM (2002) Slope stability and stabilization methods, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York, pp 462–603

    Google Scholar 

  • Acharya G, Cochrane T, Davies T, Bowman E (2011) Quantifying and modeling post-failure sediment yields from laboratory-scale soil erosion and shallow landslide experiments with silty loess. Geomorphology 129:49–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahn TB, Cho SD, Yang SC (2002) Stabilization of soil slope using geosynthetic mulching mat. Geotext Geomembr 20:135–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Assallay AM, Rogers CDF, Smalley IJ (1996) Engineering properties of loess in Libya. J Arid Environ 32:373–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berilgen MM (2007) Investigation of stability of slopes under drawdown conditions. Comput Geotech 34:81–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop AW (1955) The use of the slip circle in the stability analysis of slopes. Geotechnique 5:7–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco-Fernandez E, Castro-Fresno D, Del Coz Díaz JJ, Lopez-Quijada L (2011) Flexible systems anchored to the ground for slope stabilisation: critical review of existing design methods. Eng Geol 122:129–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bromhead EN (1997) The treatment of landslides. Geotech Eng 125:85–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson EM, Roth WH, Drescher A (1999) Slope stability analysis by strength reduction. Geotechnique 49:835–840

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derbyshire E (1991) Landslides in the Gansu loess of China. Loess—geomorphological hazards and processes. Catena Suppl 20:119–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Derbyshire E (2001) Geological hazards in loess terrain, with particular reference to the loess regions of China. Earth Sci Rev 54:231–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derbyshire E, Mellors TW (1988) Geological and geotechnical characteristics of some loess and loessic soils from China and Britain: a comparison. Eng Geol 25:135–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derbyshire E, Asch TV, Billard A, Meng X (1995) Modelling the erosional susceptibility of landslide catchments in thick loess: Chinese variations on a theme by Jan de Ploey. Catena 25:315–331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derbyshire E, Meng XM, Dijkstra TA (2000) Landslides in the thick loess terrain of north-west China. Wiley, Chichester, pp 1–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis EA, Durrani IK, Reddish DJ (2010) Numerical modelling of discrete pile rows for slope stability and generic guidance for design. Geotechnique 60:185–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredlund DG, Rahardjo H (1993) Soil mechanics for unsaturated soils. Wiley, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths DV, Lane PA (1999) Slope stability analysis by finite elements. Geotechnique 49:387–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He X, Tang K, Lei L (1997) Heavy mineral record of the Holocene environment on the Loess Plateau in China and its pedogenetic significance. Catena 29:323–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He X, Tian J, Tang K, Sun J, Matthews JA (2004) Bio-climatic imprints on a Holocene loess palaeosol from China. J Asian Earth Sci 22:455–464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hessel R, Asch T (2003) Modelling gully erosion for a small catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Catena 54:131–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hou F, Fang S, Dong Z, Li L, Lu S, Wu Y, Chen Y (2003) The developmental characters of sedimentary environments and lithofacies of middle Ordovician Majiagou Formation in Ordos Basin. Acta Sedimentol Sin 21:106–112 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang MS, Jia CQ (2009) Strength reduction FEM in stability analysis of soil slopes subjected to transient unsaturated seepage. Comput Geotech 36:93–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ishihara K, Okusa S, Oyagi N, Ischuk A (1990) Liquefaction-induced flow slide in the collapsible loess deposit in Soviet Tajik. Soils Found 30(4):73–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janbu N (1954) Application of composite slip surface for stability analysis. Proceedings of the European Conference on Stability of Earth Slopes, Stockholm, pp 43–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Jefferson IF, Evstatiev D, Karastanev D, Mavlyanova NG, Smalley IJ (2003) Engineering geology of loess and loess-like deposits: a commentary on the Russian literature. Eng Geol 68:333–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jefferson IF, Mavlyanova N, O'Hara-Dhand K, Smalley IJ (2004) The engineering geology of loess ground: 15 tasks for investigators—the Mavlyanov programme of loess research. Eng Geol 74:33–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Justo JL, Azañón JM, Azor A, Saura J, Durand P, Villalobos M, Morales A, Justo E (2008) Neotectonics and slope stabilization at the Alhambra, Granada, Spain. Eng Geol 100:101–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kourkoulis R, Gelagoti F, Anastasopoulos I, Gazetas G (2011) Slope stabilizing piles and pile-groups: parametric study and design insights. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng ASCE 137:663–667

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane PA, Griffiths DV (2000) Assessment of stability of slopes under drawdown conditions. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng ASCE 126:443–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, He S, Wu Y (2010) Seismic displacement of slopes reinforced with piles. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng ASCE 136:880–884

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu D (1985) Loess and environment. Science, Beijing, pp 1–43 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Shi B, Jiang H, Huang H, Wang G, Kamai T (2011) Research on the stabilization treatment of clay slope topsoil by organic polymer soil stabilizer. Eng Geol 117:114–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Fu B, Lü Y, Wang Z, Gao G (2012) Hydrological responses and soil erosion potential of abandoned cropland in the Loess Plateau, China. Geomorphology 138:404–414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu H, Liu X, Zhang F, An Z, Dodson J (1999) Astronomical calibration of loess–paleosol deposits at Luochuan, central Chinese Loess Plateau. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 154:237–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsui T, San KC (1992) Finite element slope stability analysis by shear strength reduction technique. Soils Found 32:59–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mentes G, Theilen-Willige B, Papp G, Síkhegyi F, Újvári G (2009) Investigation of the relationship between subsurface structures and mass movements of the high loess bank along the River Danube in Hungary. J Geodyn 47:130–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalowski RL (2005) Coefficient of earth pressure at rest. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng ASCE 131:1429–1433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development of the People's Republic of China (MOHURD) (2002) Technical code for building slope engineering. GB 50330-2002 (in Chinese)

  • Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development of the People's Republic of China (MOHURD) (2004) Specifications for design of highway subgrades. JTG D30-2004 (in Chinese)

  • Mizal-Azzmi N, Mohd-Noor N, Jamaludin N (2011) Geotechnical approaches for slope stabilization in residential area. Procedia Engg 20:474–482

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgenstern NR, Price VE (1965) Analysis of stability of general slip surfaces. Geotechnique 15:79–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz-Castelblanco JA, Delage P, Pereira JM, Cui YJ (2011) Some aspects of the compression and collapse behaviour of an unsaturated natural loess. Géotechnique Lett 1:17–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz-Castelblanco JA, Pereira JM, Delage P, Cui YJ (2012) The water retention properties of a natural unsaturated loess from Northern France. Geotechnique 62(2):95–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muxart T, Billard A, Wang JT, Derbyshire E (1994) Variation in runoff on steep, unstable slopes near Lanzhou, China: initial results using rainfall simulation. In: Kirkby MJ (ed) Process models and theoretical geomorphology. Wiley, Chichester, pp 337–355

    Google Scholar 

  • Navarro V, Yustres A, Candel M, López J, Castillo E (2010) Sensitivity analysis applied to slope stabilization at failure. Comput Geotech 37:837–845

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nouaouria MS, Guenfoud M, Lafifi B (2008) Engineering properties of loess in Algeria. Eng Geol 99:85–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng Y, Chen Y, Liu Y (2003) Benxi Formation—lithohorizon and chronohorizon with diachronism. World Geology 2:111–118 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter SC (2001) Chinese loess record of monsoon climate during the last glacial–interglacial cycle. Earth Sci Rev 54:115–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarma SK (1973) Stability analysis of embankments and slopes. Geotechnique 23:423–433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarma SK, Tan D (2006) Determination of critical slip surface in slope analysis. Geotechnique 56:539–550

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shroder JF, Schettler MJ, Weihs BJ (2011) Loess failure in northeast Afghanistan. Phys Chem Earth 36:1287–1293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spencer E (1967) Method of analysis of stability of embankments assuming parallel inter-slice forces. Geotechnique 17:11–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tu XB, Kwong AKL, Dai FC, Tham LG, Min H (2009) Field monitoring of rainfall infiltration in a loess slope and analysis of failure mechanism of rainfall-induced landslides. Eng Geol 105:134–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang G (1992) Relationship between the origin of loess landslides and the human activities in China. Sixth International Symposium on Landslides. Landslides, vol. 1. Balkema, pp: 263–268

  • Wang JJ, Lin X (2007) Discussion on determination of critical slip surface in slope analysis. Geotechnique 57:481–482

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang JJ, Chai HJ, Li HP, Zhu JG (2008) Factors resulting in the instability of a 57.5 m high cut slope. Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Landslides and Engineered Slopes, pp: 1799–1804

  • Wang JJ, Zhang HP, Liu T (2011) A new method to analyze seismic stability of cut soil slope. Applied Mechanics and Materials 90–93:48–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang JJ, Zhang HP, Liu T (2012) Determine to slip surface in waterfront soil slope analysis. Adv Mater Res 378–379:466–469

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright SG, Kulhawy FH, Duncan JM (1973) Accuracy of equilibrium slope stability analysis. J Soil Mech Found Eng, ASCE 99:783–791

    Google Scholar 

  • Xia J, Han AM (2009) Cyclic variability in microstructure and physio-mechanical properties of the Xiashu Loess–palaeosol sequence in Nanjing, China. Eng Geol 104:263–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu L, Dai FC, Thamb LG, Tu XB, Min H, Zhou YF, Wu CX, Xu K (2011) Field testing of irrigation effects on the stability of a cliff edge in loess, north-west China. Eng Geol 120:10–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan ZX, Wang LM (2009) Collapsibility and seismic settlement of loess. Eng Geol 105:119–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang D, Wang G (2007) Study of the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake-induced landslides in loess (China). Eng Geol 94:76–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu TX (2012) Gully and tunnel erosion in the hilly Loess Plateau region, China. Geomorphology 153–154:144–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zienkiewicz OC, Humpheson C, Lewis RW (1975) Associated and non-associated viscoplasticity and plasticity in soil mechanics. Geotechnique 25:671–689

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial supports from the National Science and Technology Support Programs in People's Republic of China under Grant No. 2012BAB05B04 and the Open Fund of State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering in People's Republic of China under Grant No. 201110. The authors would like to thank Mr. Zhi-Bing Wen (China Merchants Chongqing Communications Research & Design Institute Co., Ltd.) and Mr. Rui-Tao Li (CCCC Highway Consultants Co., Ltd.) for their free photos.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Hydraulic and Waterway Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400074, People’s Republic of China

    Jun-Jie Wang, Yue Liang, Hui-Ping Zhang, Yang Wu & Xin Lin

  2. State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People’s Republic of China

    Jun-Jie Wang

  3. National Engineering Research Center for Inland Waterway Regulation, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, People’s Republic of China

    Jun-Jie Wang, Yue Liang, Hui-Ping Zhang, Yang Wu & Xin Lin

Authors
  1. Jun-Jie Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yue Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hui-Ping Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yang Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xin Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jun-Jie Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, JJ., Liang, Y., Zhang, HP. et al. A loess landslide induced by excavation and rainfall. Landslides 11, 141–152 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-013-0418-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-013-0418-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation