Reasonable selection of yield criteria for quantitative analysis of unsaturated soil slope stability

The yield criterion parameters of the soil material change with different values of the cohesion and the angle of friction because of sustained rainfall infiltration. Based on the Mohr-Coulomb(M-C) and Drucker-Prager(D-P) yield criteria, some reasonable yield criteria selections were discussed for quantitative analysis of unsaturated soil slope stability. Moreover, a critical point was found at the effective angle of friction equaling to 16.5° by transformation of parameters related to unsaturated soil under sustained rainfall. When the effective angle of friction more than 16.5° through parameter transformation of different yield criteria under natural condition, the calculation result of the safety factor was such that: f(DP1) > f(M-C) > f(equivalent M-C) > f(DP2) > f(DP3). While the effective angle of friction less than 16.5°, through parameter transformation, the safety factors were in the following order: f(DP1) > f(M-C) > f(DP2) > f(equivalent M-C) > f(DP3). The calculated results from a case study showed that the equivalent M-C yield criterion should be the best at evaluating soil slope stability before rainfall; the DP2 yield criterion should be selected to calculate the soil slope stability at the effective angle of friction less than 16.5° under sustained rainfall. The yield criterion should be selected or adjusted reasonably to calculate the safety factor of unsaturated soil slopes before and during sustained rainfall.

Performance of Slope Behavior Indicators in Unsaturated Pyroclastic Soils

Landslide risk is increasing in many parts of the world due to growth of population and infrastructures. Therefore, an effort has to be made in developing new and cheap sensors for areas susceptible of landslides to continuously control the slope behaviour, until approaching failure conditions. The paper reported experimental data from smallscale physical models about the performance of Time Domain Reflectometry(TDR) and optical fibres, which act as the indicators of the incoming failure of slopes covered by unsaturated granular soils. Obtained results appear encouraging, since both sensors provide continuous information about the state of the slope, in terms of water content profiles and ongoing deformations, induced by rainwater infiltration, even immediately before the triggering of a fast landslide.

Numerical Simulation of Moisture Movement in Unsaturated Expansive Soil Slope Suffering Permeation

This study develops a way of analyzing moisture movement in unsaturated expansive soil slope. The basic equations and the integrated finite difference method for moisture movement in unsaturated soils are briefly described, and the calculation code MFUS2 has been developed. The moisture movements in unsaturated expansive soil slopes suffering precipitation were simulated numerically. The simulation results show that expansion or contraction must be taken into account in an analysis model. A simplified equivalent model for calculating rainwater infiltration into expansive soil slopes has been developed. The simplified equivalent model divides the soil slope into two layers according to the extent of weathering of the soil mass at depth. Layer Ⅰ is intensively weathered and moisture can be fully evaporated or rapidly absorbed. The moisture movement parameters take into account the greater soil permeability caused by fissures. Layer Ⅱ is unweathered and the soil is basically undisturbed. The moisture movement parameters of homogeneous soils are applicable. The moisture movements in unsaturated ex- pansive soil slopes suffering precipitation were simulated numerically using the simplified equivalent model. The simulation results show that the moisture movement in the expansive soil slope under rainfall permeation mainly takes place in the extensively weathered layer Ⅰ which closely simulates the real situation.