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Research unit
FEDRO RBT
Project number
VSS2005/502
Project title
Road-Landslide Interaction: Monitoring and Inverse Stability Analysis

Texts for this project

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Key words
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Short description
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Project description
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Transfer and application
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Publications / Results
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CategoryText
Key words
(English)
Landslide, Monitoring, Back-Calculation, Slope-Stability,
Short description
(English)

The following objectives will be achieved in the proposed research:

Objective 1: Identification of the landslides in Switzerland suitable for the simplified analysis and development of the database of the observed data.

Objective 2: Development of the inverse analysis procedure for prediction of effects of environmental factors (including transportation) on the landslide evolution.

Objective 3: Development of the recommendations for the optimum landslides monitoring programs as related to the road and railway construction and operation.
Project description
(English)

Task 1: Landslide Database

Subtask 1.1: Identification of the suitable landslides in Switzerland (Caprez, Sterba).

This subtask will involve an extensive literature review and interviews with canton engineers. This will allow for the long and thin landslides, suitable for the simplified analysis, to be identified. Availability of the monitoring data is also an important factor for this identification.

Subtask 1.2: Development of the database of the monitored data (Sterba, Rabaiotti)

For the landslides identified in Subtask 1.1 we are planning to collect all the available geotechnical and monitoring information and put it in a form of a database. This will allow for the landslides to be compared and classified. Based on this classification, one or two representative landslides will be selected for the focused research.

Subtask 1.3: Development of the complementary monitoring program (Sterba, Puzrin)

For the selected landslides, the existing monitoring and geotechnical information will be assessed. If this existing information is not sufficient for the analysis, a complementary monitoring and site investigation program will be proposed. The soil stiffness in sub horizontal direction is likely to be the missing parameter and will be determined using the novel IGT pressure meter.

Task 2: Inverse Analysis

Subtask 2.1: Development of the theoretical models (Puzrin)

One-dimensional visco-elasto-plastic analytical models of the type proposed by Puzrin and Sterba (2005) will be developed in order to provide mechanical understanding and achieve order-of-magnitude quantitative estimates of the observed landslide processes. Analytical models are also easier to use for inverse analysis of the observed displacements and can provide a basis for engineering design guidelines.

Subtask 2.2: Development of numerical algorithms (Puzrin, Rabaiotti)

Inverse analysis algorithms will be developed and incorporated into the Finite Element program (ABAQUS). This will allow for more complex geometries and soil conditions to be analyzed. The analytical solutions obtained in Subtask 2.1 will be used as a benchmark for the numerical analysis.

Subtask 2.3: Analysis of the landslides from the database (Rabaiotti)

The selected landslides from the database will be analyzed using analytical and numerical models. As a result of this analysis we expect to reach certain conclusions with respect to the effects of different environmental factors on the long-term landslide displacements and stability. However, in order to reach definitive conclusions, additional long-term observations may be required.

Task 3: Monitoring Optimization

Subtask 3.1: Development of the optimization algorithms (Puzrin, Rabaiotti)

The algorithm will be developed to optimize the number and location of the displacement monitoring and pressure meter test points along the landslide in order to achieve reliable and yet cost-effective analysis.

Subtask 3.2: Development of the monitoring recommendations (Puzrin, Sterba)

As a result of the above optimization, recommendations will be suggested for site investigation, monitoring and analysis of the existing and new landslides. This will allow for the future monitoring procedures of the slope displacements to be optimized in terms of acquisition of the necessary information at the minimum cost.

Subtask 3.3: Recommendations for road construction and operation (Caprez)

The specific transportation oriented recommendations will be suggested with respect to analyzing effects of the road construction and operation on the landslide evolution. This could lead to considerable savings in the road design, construction and maintenance costs.
Methods
(English)
The methodology consists in modeling and analyzing existing instable slopes. After drawing up a suitable landslide database theoretical models and numerical algorithms for the analysis of the landslides are drawn. Finally recommendations are worked out.
Special tools and infrastructure
(English)
No.
Overview of own research activities
(English)

Institute for Geotechnics (IGT) at the ETH Zurich has been involved in monitoring Leimbach landslide for the last 20 years. There is a bridge on the road at the border of the landslide, which has been continuously repaired due to the considerable relative displacements of its two ends. What is the future of this bridge?

Many roads and railways in Switzerland are located in the vicinity of active or old landslides. This creates uncertainties in road design, construction, operation and maintenance. The purpose of the proposed research is to develop an inverse stability analysis procedure, which will use the observed slope displacements data to analyze the long term stability and interaction of the landslide with the constructed road and other environmental factors. It will also allow for the future monitoring procedures of the slope displacements to be optimized in terms of acquisition of the necessary information at the minimum cost. This could lead to considerable savings in the road design, construction and maintenance costs.
Project aims
(English)
The goal is to develop a state-of-the-art procedure for analysis of long and short term effects of different environmental factors (including the road and railway construction and operation) on landslide evolution and stability. This procedure will be based on the inverse analysis of the monitored landslide displacements with the landslide being used as a gigantic “strain gage” to interpret its displacements for mapping the shear and normal stresses on the slip surface and in the sliding body. As the first step towards this fundamental goal, in the proposed project the development will be limited to the analysis of selected landslides in Switzerland, which can be studied using an infinite slope model.
Research agenda
(English)
The research is divided into three tasks. Task 1 comprises the Literature review, the database development and additional investigation. Task 2 covers the theoretical and numerical modeling and analysis. Task 3 deals with optimization algorithms, recommendations and the transportation aspects.
Transfer and application
(English)
The results of this research can be adopted in recommendations for monitoring and sanify slope-stability problems. The results should also be implemented in future standards and research. The new approach will potentially lead to considerable savings in the road design, construction and maintenance costs.
Publications / Results
(German)
.
Berichtsnummer
(German)
1270
Literature
(English)

[1] Puzrin, A. and Sterba, I. (2005). Inverse long-term stability analysis of a constrained landslide. Submitted to Geotechnique

[2] IGT-Bericht 1547A (3/1093). Ueberwachung des Uetliberghanges im Gebiet Leimbach, Sihlwaldstrasse / Soodstrasse

[3] IGT-Bericht 3706/12 (1991). Nationalstrasse N2, Eptingen Hang Edelweiss, Klinometermessungen

[4] IGT-Bericht 4602 (2001). Eptingen N2, Hangdrainage, Prüfung des Massnahmenprojektes

[5] Lang, H.-J., IGT-Bericht 4024 (1981). Rutschungen in der Gemeinde Braunwald, Beratung betr. Sanierung

[6] Sterba, I.; Lang, H.-J.; Amann, P. (2005). The Brattas Landslide in St. Moritz; Proc. Geo Eng 2000, Int. Conference on Geotechnical & Geological Engineering, Melbourne