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Understanding the Mechanism of Large-Scale Landslides

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Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 2

Abstract

We review recent work on large-scale landslide research that has been carrying out by the State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, SKLGP. Based on intensive field investigations of large-scale landslides, several failure modes of gravitational and earthquake-induced landslides were proposed, which are widely applied in landslide hazard assessment and mitigation in China. For the gravitational landslides (including the rainfall-induced ones), a locking-section that resists landslide deformation has been commonly observed in many cases. The failure of the locking-section under the natural or human forces often causes the sudden failure of the whole slope, producing large-scale and high-speed landslides. Another failure mechanism “toppling” is not a new term, but the deep-seated large-scale toppling failures have been rarely studied. The slopes composed by anti-inclined lamellar weak strata or weak-hard rock intercalated strata are characterized by this type of failure. The toppling degree and stability are closed related to the strength and thickness of rock strata. The rock strata may experience large flexible bending deformations and failure only occurs when the deformation accumulates to a certain critical value. A deformation zone classification is proposed to assess the deformation stage and degree of toppling failure, which is also a key to evaluate the stability and mitigation of such type of landslides.

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Acknowledgment

This study is financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Grant No.2013CB733202) and the Key Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.41130745). The author would like to acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Xuanmei Fan, Dr. Rongyan Li, Dr. Yonghong Luo and Dr. Guo Li of Chengdu University of Technology, who provided help for the paper organization and English editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China

    Runqiu Huang

Authors
  1. Runqiu Huang
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Correspondence to Runqiu Huang .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. for Geo-hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Turin, Italy

    Giorgio Lollino

  2. Inst. for Geo-hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Turin, Italy

    Daniele Giordan

  3. Dept. of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Milan Bicocca, Milan, Italy

    Giovanni B. Crosta

  4. Dept. of Geotechn. Engin. & Geosciences, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Corominas

  5. Dept. of Engin. Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Rafig Azzam

  6. Inst. for Geo-hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Bari, Italy

    Janusz Wasowski

  7. University G. D'Annunzi Chieti Pescara, Chieti, Italy

    Nicola Sciarra

Appendix A: 50 historical catastrophic landslides in recent 100 years

Appendix A: 50 historical catastrophic landslides in recent 100 years

No.

Time

Name

Location

Longitude

Latitude

Fatalities

Triggering factor

1

1905/6/9

Nanmenwan landslide

Wuxi, Chongqing

109.6301

31.3955

98

Rainfall

2

1921/7/18

Pufugou landslide

Luquan, Yunnan

102.5962

26.1686

7

Rainfall

3

1935/11/25

Luchedu landslide

Huidong, Sichuan

102.3144

26.1927

286

Rainfall

4

1935/12/22

Shabagou landslide

Qiaojia, Yunnan

102.9950

27.0077

280

Rainfall

5

1942/7/1

Jiawucun landslide

**shan landslide

Tengchong, Yunnan

98.4241

25.5115

22

Rainfall

23

1988/1/10

Zhongyangcun-1 landslide

Wuxi, Chongqing

109.5229

31.5836

33

Blasting

24

1989/7/10

** landslide

Zigui, Hubei

110.6023

30.9757

24

Rainfall

37

2004/9/5

Tiantaixiang landslide

Xuanhan, Sichuan

108.0571

31.4355

0

Rainfall

38

2004/12/3

Yanjiao rockfall

Nayong, Guizhou

105.2484

26.6974

44

Rainfall

39

2007/7/7

Bao’eryan landslide

Daxian, Sichuan

107.4635

31.5103

0

Rainfall

40

2007/7/19

Sujiahedianzhan landslide

Tengchong, Yunnan

98.2578

25.3392

29

Slope cutting

41

2007/11/20

Gaoyangzhai landslide

Badong, Hubei

110.3288

30.6227

35

Rainfall

42

2009/4/26

Yangtiyan landslide

Zhaotong, Yunnan

105.0540

27.8591

20

Rainfall

43

2009/6/5

Jiweishan landslide

Wulong, Chongqing

107.4329

29.2322

74

Underground mining

44

2009/8/6

Houziyan landslide

Hanyuan, Sichuan

102.7819

29.3131

31

Rainfall

45

2010/6/14

Shuangjigou landslide

Kangding, Sichuan

102.2894

30.4354

23

Rainfall

46

2010/6/28

Guanling landslide

Guanling, Guizhou

105.3302

25.9564

99

Rainfall

47

2010/7/27

Ermanshan landslide

Hanyuan, Sichuan

102.7439

29.3225

20

Rainfall

48

2010/9/1

Dashifang landslide

Baoshan, Yunnan

98.9863

25.5744

48

Rainfall

49

2011/9/17

Bailuyuan landslide

**’an, Shaanxi

109.1

34.2667

32

Rainfall

50

2013/7/10

Wulipo landslide

Sichuan

103.57

30.91

148

Rainfall

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Huang, R. (2015). Understanding the Mechanism of Large-Scale Landslides. In: Lollino, G., et al. Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09057-3_2

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