Geology 229 Engineering and Environmental Geology Lecture 26

Mass Movement and Landslides (Cont. see Ch. 14)

Quantitative Analysis of Landslides 1. Definition of slip (sliding) 2. Translational slip 3. Rotational slip 4. Analysis of factor of safety (FS) 5. Surface subsidence and sinkholes

Feb. 18, 2006 Philippine Landslide

Movement by slip (sliding)

- Movement occurs as a displacement along one distinct surface of failure (or a narrow zone of failure). This is in contrast with flow. -Using the limit equilibrium approach: equating the driving forces to the resisting forces on the slipping plane at the time of failure. -The failure surface is idealized into either a planer or circular plane. -Failure occurred on the planar surface is translational; -Failure occurred on the circular plane is rotational;

Driving force: Wsin Resisting force: Wcos Wcos

The factor of safety (FS) for the translational slip is defined as

FR W cos tan = = FS = tan FD W sin

Clearly, when the dipping angle is smaller than the angle of friction , the resisting force FR is greater than the driving force FD, and the factor of safety (FS) is greater than 1, and vice versa. When FS > 1, safe; FS = 1, onset of failure; and FS < 1, failed.

The slope failure (slump)

Slope failure is also called a slump; Circular surface of failure is common for considering essentially homogeneous materials (soils, loose or weak materials); As indicated by the TRB Classification, slump occurs with the presence of earth, debris, weak rock matters, etc.

Three types of slump failure Slope failure: weak near surface materials;
toe failure: extended slope or additional excavation; Base failure: flat weak zone at depth.

slope failure

toe failure

base failure

Slumps usually occur in humid areas, groundwater plays an important role in slump failure. In springtime, after the thawing, after heavy rainfall, slump failures are very common in all natural slopes, road cuts, out slopes, and embankments.

Factor of safety (FS) analysis for slump failure

Parallel to the FS analysis we have done for slip along a planar plane, the analysis is similar but with several exceptions. (1), the slip is occurring along a circular plane, not a planar plane anymore. (2), the mass movement is not a simple translational motion, but with rotation component. To analyze a case like this, we need a help from rigid body mechanics whose treatment is suitable for analyzing rotations. Thus, instead of using the force balance approach, we need using a balance of moment. The moment is defined as the force times the arm length to the shaft of the rotation.

The factor of safety (FS) now is defined as

M R FR armR FS = = M D FD armD

where MR is the resisting moment and MD is the driving moment. If the resisting moment is larger than the driving moment it is a safe slope, slip would not happen. The FS is greater than one for this case. In the case if FS is close to unity, it implies that the driving moment is close to the resisting moment, the slope is close to fail.

Driving Moment

M D = riWi sin i
i =1

Wisini is the driving force on the i-th portion of the failure plane, parallel to the failure plane towards downward. After multiplying the driving force with the arm of rotation ri the quantity is the driving moment from that portion, or the contribution from the i-th sub-block. The arm length ri is taken as the radius of the circular failure plane (an arc).

Recall the Coulomb-Mohr criterion for shear failure, for each sub-block we have

i = C + ( ni Pi ) = C + tan ( ni Pi )
where

i is the shear stress;

C is the cohesion; is the angle of friction;

ni is the normal stress; and Pi is the pore pressure;

eff = ni pi is the effective stress.

The above formula is in stress format, multiplication of it with Ai, the area underneath each sub-block on the slipping plane results in the resisting force

FRi = CAi + tan (Wi cos i Ai Pi )

then the total resisting moment is

M R = ri [CAi + tan (Wi cos i Ai Pi )]

i =1

So that the Factor of Safety FS is

MR FS = = MD

i =1

ri [CAi + tan (Wi cos i Ai Pi )]

r W sin
i =1 i i

For a practical calculation we can further simplified by approximating the slipping plane to be circular, so the arm lengths for all the sub-blocks are the same distance r. We can also take the contact area on the slipping plane as the length li times a unity thickness d. Finally,

So that the Factor of Safety FS is

MR = FS = MD
with

dCL + tan (Wi cos i dPi li )

Wi sin i
i =1

i =1 N

L = l i
i =1

dL = A = A i
i =1

This formula can be practically implemented.

Now we can integrate the discussion of slip and toppling. The question is: under what conditions the block has toppling and under what conditions it has slip?

<

>
Slipping No toppling

b/h=tan

No slipping No toppling Slipping toppling

Toppling No slipping (West, Fig. 14.8)

Surface subsidence and sinkholes

Form of a sinkhole (West, Fig. 14.3)

Lowering the land surface by a vertical downward movement is called Subsidence. The mechanisms of subsidence include: compaction; consolidation; plastic outflow of weak layers (organic, silty layer near surface, etc.); collapse of subsurface openings.

Underground Opening Collapse

When the opening width W is sufficiently small or the rock above the cave is massive (strong, or containing few and widely spaced joints), the void would not migrate upward, but instead, form an arch-shaped roof, no surface subsidence at all. Analogy: When you drive on Route 15 to New York, you might noticed many crossover bridges crossing the highway above Route 15, and they are all in arch shaped structure, with wide-span. The weight of the bridge is supported by the arch. Reason: Compression developed in the arch, the weight of the bridge is transferred to the abutments.

Arch-shaped bridge

Subsurface opening

Zhaozhou Bridge (built ~600 AD, Hebei, China)

Subsurface opening

Angle depends on the rock type and the joint spacing. Rock type and joint spacing together determines the effective strength of the country rock in which the subsurface opening exists. However, when the width W is large enough, surface subsidence will occur.

Surface expression a sinkhole (West, Fig. 14.2)

Refer to Figure 14.2: Angle of break : On which slide likely to occur; = /2+45 is the angle of friction, a physical property of the rocks. Angle of draw : Angle of draw is measured from vertical, from the point the plane of draw meeting the ground surface, the mass moves inward. Practically this point (F) is taken as the location where 5% of the maximum vertical displacement occurs.

The plane of draw is always more horizontal than the plane of break; i.e, the plane of draw is always outside of the plane of break. Point B: vertically above the boundary of the opening: the inflection point on subsidence curve. It corresponds to point D, the zero-point on strain curve. Usually, OB = OF/2.5. OF = W/2.

Point C: C is the point with maximum tensile strain. It corresponds to point A on the break plane, so it is the likely plane of break to occur (cracks). BA ~ 3BF. The values: Rock type value Rock, hard clay 11-26 Stiff or soft clay 26-50 Sand below water table >50 Clearly soft or loose materials have large value, Means broader effect area.

A good landslide introduction web:

http://www.eos.ubc.ca/public/resources/landslideimages