• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.21-28
• /
• 2021

The factors of landslides depend on rainfall intensity, duration, and the characteristics of the soil slope. The conventional slope stability analysis has been carried out by assuming that the slope is saturated. But, a site slope consisting of unsaturated ground must be imitated and interpreted in order to explain a proper behavior of the slope due to rainfall. In this study, by using two major categories of soils in Korea, such as granite and gneiss weathered soils, landslide model test and numerical analysis have been compared with the difference of seepage and volumetric water content. In general, the permeability of gneiss weathered soil, which contains a lot of fines content, is slower than that of granite weathered soil. As a result, in extreme rainfall, numerical analysis can show results that can penetrate quickly, resulting in saturation or more dangerous collapse.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.421-429
• /
• 2018

Purpose: This study conducted a slope stability study considering changes in the ground water level due to rain phenomena and the duration of rainfall, that is for the purpose of analyzing the stability of the slope surface of the cut section, seepage numerical analysis is performed by height of slope and rainfall accident, and the characteristics of rainfall was applied reasonably in order to determine the slope change during rain by analyzing rainfall and rainfall pattern due to climate change. Results: As a result of numerical analysis of stability for slope composed of the granite weathered soils according to the characteristics of rainfall(Uniform Rainfall, US Army Corps., Huff's method - 1/4, 4/4), Conclusion: The higher the slope, the smaller the safety factor of the slope, the smaller the elevation of the ground water level as the rainwater seepage does not reach the underground water level. In addition, the ground water level was assessed to be rose significantly in condition of case 3 Huff's method - 1/4, rain pattern with the largest initial rainfall duration, and the safety factor was analyzed to be small.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2009.09a
• /
• pp.736-744
• /
• 2009

The abrupt failure of slope caused by a concentrated rainfall would be a disaster in this country. Specially, the soil slope may be collapsed by the rainfall seepage, however, there is not much information for the mechanism of slope failure during rainfall. As analyzing the stability of slope by rainfall, the conventional method is to put the ground-water level on the surface of slope. However, it may provide the over-reinforcement for the slope stability. Futhermore, although over-reinforcement for the slope was fulfilled, the possibility of potential slope failure still exists. In this study, the slope stability by the conventional design method and the causes of unstable slope during rainfall were investigated. To analyze the slope stability by rainfall, the computer program SEEP/W for the analysis of seepage was used. As changing the intensity and duration of rainfall in SEEP/W, the analysis were performed. After completion of analysis, the porewater pressure data from SEEP/W was applied to SLOPE/W. As a results of this analysis, it is not reasonable that the groundwater level is going up to the surface of slope during rainfall. Therefore, the conventional reinforcement for the slope stability is not obvious to satisfy the criterion safety factor during rainfall. The reasonable counterplan is to install drainage hole on the surface of slope in order to prevent erosion and debris flow.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.77-89
• /
• 2023

This study aims to establish the correlations between variables related to a slope during rainfall and factor of safety (FOS) and displacement using a coupling analysis method that is designed to consider both in rainfall conditions. With the recent development of measurement technologies, the approach of using the measurement data in the field has become easier. Particularly, they have been obtained in tests to determine the real-time safety and movement of a slope; however, a specific method has not been finalized. In addition, collected measurement data for recognizing the FOS and displacement in real-time with a specific relevance is difficult, and risks of uncertainty, such as in soil parameters and time, exist. In this study, the correlations between various slope-related variables (i.e., rainfall intensity, rainfall duration, angle of the slope, and mechanical properties including strength parameters of selected three types of soil; loamy sand, silt loam, sand) and the FOS and displacement are analyzed in order of seepage analysis, slope stability analysis and slope displacement analysis. Moreover, the methodology of coupling analysis is verified and a fundamental understanding of the factors that need to be considered in real-time observations is gained. The results show that the contributions of the abovementioned variables vary according to the soil type. Thus, the tendency of the displacement also differs by the soil type and variables but not same tendency with FOS. The friction angle and cohesion are negative while the rainfall duration and rainfall intensity are positive with the displacement. This suggests that understanding their correlations is necessary to determine the safety of a slope in real-time using displacement data. Additionally, databases considering rainfall conditions and a wide range of soil characteristics, including hydraulic and mechanical parameters, should be accumulated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2008.03a
• /
• pp.955-962
• /
• 2008

This study concerns the effect of drainage in reinforced soil on its stability during rainfall. A series of finite-element analysis based transient seepage analysis were performed on a number of cases with different drainage conditions in terms of layers of geotextiles installed in the reinforced zone. The results were then coupled with the limit-equilibrium slope stability analysis to investigate the variation of global stability factor of safety with rainfall infiltration into the reinforced wall. The results were thoroughly analyzed to get insight into the mechanism of pore water pressure reduction effect of the geotextile and into its effect on overall slope stability. It is shown that layers of geotextile installed in the reinforced zone can prevent decrease in suction in the reinforced zone during rainfall, thereby reducing potential risk of decreasing shear strength of the reinforced zone. Practical implications of the findings were discussed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.1 no.3
• /
• pp.193-204
• /
• 2009

A 10.4-m high highway embankment retained behind mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls is under construction in the northeastern part of the Indian state of Bihar. The structure is constructed with compacted, micaceous, grey, silty sand, reinforced with polyester (PET) geogrids, and faced with reinforced cement concrete fascia panels. The connections between the fascia panels and the geogrids failed on several occasions during the monsoon seasons of 2007 and 2008 following episodes of heavy rainfall, when the embankment was still under construction. However, during these incidents the MSE embankment itself remained by and large stable and the collateral damages were minimal. The observational data during these incidents presented an opportunity to develop and calibrate a simple procedure for estimating rainfall induced pore water pressure development within MSE embankments constructed with backfill materials that do not allow unimpeded seepage. A simple analytical finite element model was developed for the purpose. The modeling results were found to agree with the observational and meteorological records from the site. These results also indicated that the threshold rainwater infiltration flux needed for the development of pore water pressure within an MSE embankment is a monotonically increasing function of the hydraulic conductivity of backfill. Specifically for the MSE embankment upon which this study is based, the analytical results indicated that the instabilities could have been avoided by having in place a chimney drain immediately behind the fascia panels.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.57-65
• /
• 2001

In this study, the seepage behavior and the stability of the extension embankment were estimated for three cases the permeability coefficient of an extension part and the rising velocity due to the rainfall of flood period. In parallel flow condition, the unstability of the slope due to embankment erosion was examined by analyzing the variation of seepage line by the seepage modeling tests and FEM analysis, and the stability of the embankment slope accompanied by the sudden rise of the water level after the flood. The seepage behavior of extension embankment indicates that the larger permeability of the extension part the longer initial seepage distance, and the exit point from embankment slope is gradually increased, and then shows unstable seepage behavior that occurs a partial collapse as safety factor decreases with time. It is because of the increment of exit points due to variation of seepage line and rising velocities of water level. Also, the collapse aspect of embankment slope shows that the increment rising velocities of water level causes the increment collapse height and depth.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.13-27
• /
• 2023

The model production for large-scale (lateral length ≥ 2.0 m) capillary barrier (CB) model tests is time and cost-intensive. To address these limitations, the framework of a small-scale CB (SSCB) model test under the lateral no-flow condition has been established. In this study, to validate the experimental methodology of the SSCB model test, a series of seepage analyses on the SSCB model test and engineered slopes in the same and additional test conditions was performed. First, the seepage behavior and diversion length (L_D) of the CB system were investigated under three rainfall conditions. In the seepage analysis for the engineered slopes with different slope angles and sand layer thicknesses, the L_D increased with the increase in the slope angle and sand layer thickness, although the increase rate of the L_D with the sand layer thickness exhibited an upper limit. The L_D values from the seepage analysis agreed well with the results estimated from the laboratory SSCB mode test. Therefore, it can be concluded that the experimental methodology of the SSCB model test is one of the promising alternatives to efficiently evaluate the water-shielding performance of the CB system for an engineered slope.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.381-390
• /
• 2010

This study assessed the hydrogeological characteristics of a seepage area of white leachate. The geological characteristics of the leachate were determined by a surface survey, and an electrical resistivity survey and borehole image processing system (BIPS) were applied to estimate the distribution of discontinuities, to assess the geological structure of the seepage areas. Fluctuations in groundwater level within boreholes were measured during periods of precipitation in the dry and wet seasons. The results show that electrical resistivity is lower in the seepage section than in non-seepage sections. The distribution of fracture zones and limestone cavities was inferred from the logging data and BIPS data. Variations in groundwater level and groundwater recharge, related to rainfall events, show the direct effect of rainfall events during the rainy season. We obtained a strong relationship between seepage amount and rainfall (correlation coefficients of 0.83-0.97).

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2008

In this research, model tests have been performed for researching the seepage characteristics in the finite soil slope during the rainfall using a manufactured rainfall simulator. On the basis of the results, it has been analyzed how to change the seepage characteristics due to the duration time of rainfall. We are found that the pore-water pressure was gradually increased as increasing the duration time of rainfall. Specially, at the beginning of rainfall, the pore-water pressure in the middle surface of slope was measured larger than any point. As increasing the duration time of rainfall, the pore-water pressure at the inner part of slope was increased greatly at the collapse due to infiltrating the pore-water within the slope. In the research, it was not easy to get various test results because measuring instruments are high sensitivity and difficult to handle. For the future, the model test results are needed for the various slope angle.