Design Charts for the Stability Analysis of Unsaturated Soil Slopes

Simple limit equilibrium analyses can be performed to determine the Factor of Safety (FOS) against slope failure of unsaturated soil slopes. However, many of the input parameters needed for these analyses are highly variable, and the FOS value obtained is critically dependent on assumptions made by the designer. This paper describes a suite of reliability analyses on unsaturated soil slopes performed using an invariant reliability model. The results are presented in design charts from which a designer can choose the FOS value required to ensure a given target reliability index for a slope. The approach ensures that despite the variability of input parameters the slope will have a probability of failure of 2.23% or less.     

Time-Variant Reliability Analysis of Unsaturated Soil Slopes Under Rainfall

Time-variant reliability analysis for a typical unsaturated soil slope is performed. Eight rainfall conditions are considered, and three slope models are set up for studying the influence of shear strength parameters, hydraulic conductivity parameters, rainfall intensity and duration on the reliability of the soil slope. Sensitivity analysis shows that when the saturated hydraulic conductivity (k _s) is very small, the variation of hydraulic conductivity has little effect on the reliability index (β). For saving the computation effort, only the shear strength parameters are needed in performing the reliability analysis in this condition. With the increase of k _s, the importance of hydraulic conductivity becomes large. The reliability index of the soil slope is changing with time (t), and the shape of β–t curves for different slope model is quite different for they depend on the value of k _s. When k _s is very small, β keeps decreasing for all the 18 simulation days. With the increase of k _s, β decreases to its minimum value at about the cessation day of rainfall events, and it then increases gradually due to the redistribution of suction in the soil slope.     

Laboratory Hydraulic Testing in Unsaturated Soils

This paper synthesizes the state-of-the art of the various laboratory testing techniques presently available for measuring the water hydraulic constitutive functions of unsaturated soils. Emphasis is on the laboratory testing techniques for measuring the soil–water retention curves and the water hydraulic conductivity functions of unsaturated soils. The significant recent advances in the investigation of the hydraulic behaviour of unsaturated swelling soils, are also presented. Comprehensive recent references on each measurement method are listed and discussed.     

MEMS传感器在锚杆加固边坡监测中的应用研究

滑坡破坏各种建筑工程,严重影响了人民生产生活以及国民经济的发展。锚杆作为边坡治理的主要手段之一,其施工质量与锚固效果难以直接监测。随着微机电系统(MEMS)技术的兴起与不断发展,MEMS传感器具有体积小、造价低和精度高等优点,使其从常规监测手段中脱颖而出,为地质工程监测提供了新的可能。通过设计模型试验,基于MEMS传感器探讨锚杆对边坡的加固作用。试验采用天然河砂,通过撒砂法堆坡,边坡坡角为45°,分有锚杆加固和无锚杆加固2组。以降雨触发滑坡,将MEMS传感器布设在边坡内部,实现对边坡内部各点的加速度、角度和角速度的实时连续监测。研究表明:当未加固边坡蠕滑开始时,边坡内部和坡脚处的加速度与角度发生渐变,边坡后缘与表面处的加速度和角度变化不明显,表明边坡蠕滑主要发生在边坡内部与坡脚处;滑坡发生时,边坡内部与坡脚处的加速度和角度率先发生突变,边坡后缘与表面的参数随后发生突变,表明砂土坡破坏的瞬间,其内部与坡脚处先发生滑动,边坡后缘与坡面随后滑动,为典型的牵引式滑坡。采用锚杆加固后,边坡只发生蠕滑,边坡内部、坡脚处与坡面的加速度和角度有明显渐变,边坡后缘的各指标几乎无变化,表明降雨条件下,加固后的边坡发生整体蠕滑,边坡坡角降低,不发生破坏。MEMS传感器能够实现低成本、高精度的连续实时监测边坡蠕滑的渐变规律,捕捉到滑坡发生时运动的明显突变,对研究边坡的滑动机制及滑坡预警有一定的应用价值,在地质工程监测领域具有广阔的应用前景。     

对边坡位移监测曲线振荡起伏的分析

边坡时间-位移曲线理论上单调,但是监测到的常是振荡起伏的,即监测显示侧向位移方向发生变化。本文指出随机噪声是振荡的主要原因,而起伏才是边坡发展的真实状态。两者相比,振荡的频率远大于起伏,而振幅则远小于起伏。并结合实例指出,边坡表层或内部协调变形、水及人类活动产生的加卸荷作用及温度变化引发的热胀冷缩效应等都可以引起监测曲线的起伏。这对分析监测曲线的振荡起伏现象提供了帮助。     

城镇大区域复杂高切坡群监测方法探讨

根据城镇高切坡群监测工程所具有的监测规模大、涉及区域广;布网难度大、网型复杂以及监测区域环境复杂、需多种方法联合运用等特点,结合三峡库区巴东县高切坡专业监测工程实例,探讨了其监测网布设和实施监测的方法以及数据处理方法。综合利用GPS法和全站仪法的监测数据分析结果表明:监测网的布设方法得当,监测方案优化,完全满足监测工程的需要;巴东县高切坡监测点的位移量变化受降雨量影响很大且各方向变形量在时间上表现出很强的一致性。     

Research on the Application of MEMS Sensors to Slope Monitoring Treated by Bolts

The landslide can destroy all kinds of constructions, and seriously hinder people's production and life as well as the development of national economy. Bolt is one of the main methods for slope treatment, but it is difficult to monitor its construction quality and anchoring effect directly. With the rise and development of MEMS (Micro-electro mechanical system) technology, MEMS sensors, with the advantages of small size, low cost and high precision, quickly come out from the conventional monitoring methods and provide new possibilities for the monitoring field in geological engineering. In this paper, based on MEMS sensors, a model test was designed to explore the stability of the slope after treatment by bolts. Natural river sands were used to prepare slopes with angle of 45° through the air-plluviation method. In addition, the tests were divided into two groups (with or without bolts). MEMS sensors were set up in the slope to wirelessly and continually capture the acceleration, angular velocity and angle of slope sliding triggered by simulated rainfall in real-time. It was found that: with no treatment, the acceleration and angle in the interior and the bottom of the slope gradually changed during rainfall, while those parameters in the rear and the surface of the slope had no significant change, which indicated that the slope creep mainly occurred in the interior and the bottom of the slope before failure. When landslides occurred, the movement monitoring indexes in the interior and the bottom of the slope suddenly changed, followed by those in the rear and the surface of the slope, which means that when the sandy slope slides, the interior and the bottom of the slope slides first, and then the rear and the surface of the slope surface fail. This is a typical retrogressive landslide. After the slope was treated by bolts, only creep could be observed during long-term rainfall, and the acceleration and angle in the bottom, interior and surface of the slope gradually changed, while almost no change was found in the rear of the slope, which shows that under rainfall conditions, overall creep occurs for the slope after reinforcement, the slope angle decreases, and there is no landside. The experimental results prove that MEMS sensors can realize low-cost, high-precision, continuous real-time monitoring of slope, and can capture gradual changes of movements before failure and the sudden change when landslide occurs. It should play a certain role in the study of landslide mechanism and landslide warning, and has a broad application in the field of geological engineering monitoring.     

城区与郊区土体湿度监测与对比分析——以南京市为例

由城市化进程改变的城市空间热环境对城区土体湿度产生了重要影响。为了了解城区与郊区土体湿度的差异,以南京市为例,分别在城区、郊区建立了土体湿度监测站,分析2009年6月1日至2010年6月7日南京城区、郊区地下1 m范围内裸土、草地及混凝土覆盖环境下土体湿度的时空演化特征。研究结果表明,南京城区土体湿度总体上小于郊区,存在显著的城市土体"干岛效应",年平均干岛强度为-7.4%。在时间尺度上,1月的干岛强度最小,为-2.1%;7月最大,达到-20.5%。在空间尺度上,郊区土体湿度随深度增加而增大,城区土体则无明显规律。在不同地面覆盖环境下,城区、郊区土体湿度变化规律不同:城区裸土环境下土体湿度日变化明显,而草地及混凝土下的土体湿度日变化相对较小,3种地面覆盖环境的年均土体湿度变化规律为草地(19.0%)<混凝土(26.4%)<裸土(29.5%);郊区3种地面覆盖环境下土体湿度日变化区间及变化频率均比城区大,且年均土体湿度为混凝土(27.4%)<草地(34.7%)<裸土(36.2%)。最后,分析了造成城区、郊区土体湿度差异的原因。     

高边坡稳定性评价、加固措施和监测分析

以某地高边坡为工程实例,根据高边坡的基本特征,分析了其发生局部变形的原因,并对稳定性进行定量评价。经分析最终采用刷坡卸载+微型钢管桩+排水系统+绿化综合治理方案。治理后通过检测和监测成果,得出注浆前后土体抗剪强度指标变化,在此基础上比较加固前后边坡稳定性变化,体现了信息化施工对边坡稳定性的印证,对今后治理类似高陡边坡时具有一定的借鉴作用。     

GPS-机多天线技术在镇江北固山北侧斜坡监测中的应用

本文介绍了GPS-机多天线技术无人值守的自动化监测系统的应用,解决了在滑坡监测中GPS形变监测成本高、自动化程度差的难题。     

A Modified Mohr-Coulomb Model to Simulate the Behavior of Pipelines in Unsaturated Soils

At the present time, it is very common in practice to utilize Mohr-Coulomb model to simulate the soil behaviour in the application of soil-pipeline interaction problems. However, the traditional Mohr-Coulomb model is unable to predict the realistic loading that can apply on buried pipes during large ground deformation. Especially, the linear elastic-perfectly plastic Mohr-Coulomb model is not capable of simulating the unsaturated soil loading which can result larger than anticipated loading due to suction induced additional normal force between the soil particles. A user defined unsaturated modified Mohr-Coulomb model is developed within a generalized effective stress framework considering suction hardening effects to capture the realistic loading induced by unsaturated soil medium. Firstly, the model has been developed considering microscopic and macroscopic suction hardening mechanisms, and was implemented into a commercial finite element program associated with user subroutine written in FORTAN. Then the model was validated through a series of unsaturated triaxial compression tests conducted on the basis of different sand types having various initial conditions. Finally, the model has been applied to simulate the behaviour of pipelines subjected to lateral soil loading in unsaturated soils. The results revealed that the modified Mohr-Coulomb model has reasonable predictions when compared to the load-displacement response of pipes obtained from two large scale testing programs. The developed model can be used to predict the increased strength and stiffness associated with soil suction that increases lateral loads on pipelines, and thus has widespread relevance for simulating the pipeline response in unsaturated soils under externally imposed ground movement.     

雨水入渗对非饱和土坡稳定性影响的参数研究

很多国家和地区的斜坡失稳与雨水入渗有密切关系。通过参数分析研究可以深化对这种关系的认识和理解,因而对滑坡灾害的预测和预防有重要意义。针对香港地区一种典型非饱和土斜坡,用有限元法模拟雨水入渗引起的暂态渗流场,然后将计算得到的暂态孔隙水压力分布用于斜坡的极限平衡分析。计算中采用延伸的摩尔－库伦破坏准则以便考虑基质吸力对抗剪强度的贡献,研究了降雨特征、水文地质条件及坡面防渗处理等因素对暂态渗流场和斜坡安全因数的影响。数值模拟结果表明：降雨强度、降雨历时和雨型对暂态渗流场及斜坡稳定性有明显的影响;土体的渗透系数,尤其是渗透系数各向异性的影响特别显著;斜坡中相对隔水层的存在以及斜坡防渗护面的效果等因素的影响均不容忽视。     

木孜塔格西北坡鱼鳞川冰川跃动遥感监测

基于Landsat卫星数据的遥感监测发现, 木孜塔格峰西北坡鱼鳞川冰川的中支在2007-2011年间发生了跃动, 冰川北侧末端在几年内前进距离达到了(548±34) m.进一步的监测发现, 该冰川的大幅跃动主要发生于2008年10月至2009年3月.跃动期间冰川表面约4.8 km长的范围经历了急剧的破碎化过程, 并呈现出最早由冰川中部积蓄区下段开始, 然后向上下游逐渐扩展的特征.对冰面裂隙及其他特征点的追踪发现, 冰川除积累区以外的部位都产生明显的位移, 其中冰川中部以下至冰舌部各点的位移都在1 km以上.同时, 冰面运动速度的计算结果也显示, 冰川各个部分都经历了急剧的运动速度变化过程, 其中冰川中部最大运动可视速率达到约(13.3±1.5)m·d^-1, 并且还揭示出该冰川的跃动具有北侧主末端最先开始快速运动, 然后向上游逐渐扩展的特征.     

Influence of rainfall on the deformation and stability of a slope in overconsolidated clays: a case study

The behaviour of an instrumented unstable slope in a profile of weathered overconsolidated clay has been analysed. Available field investigation data and laboratory tests were integrated in a coupled hydromechanical model of the slope. Particular attention was given to the unsaturated soil conditions above the water table and to the influence of the rainfall record. Recorded pore-water pressures helped to identify the hydrogeological conditions of the slope. The coupled model was used to compute slope deformations and the variation of safety with time. Actual rainfall records were also integrated into the analysis. Comparison of measurements and calculations illustrate the nature of the slope instability and the complex relationships between mechanical and hydraulic factors. Electronic Publication     

农田尺度土壤水分的监测

根据田间试验实测资料分析了田间土壤水分的空间变化特征和时间动态变化,探索了监测农田水分变化时如何确定其合理的取样数目,讨论了农田尺度的土壤水分应如何监测,为节水灌溉,提高田间用水管理水平提供科学依据。     

Evaluation of landslide triggering mechanisms in model fill slopes

Hong Kong is particularly susceptible to landslide risk due to the steep natural topography and prolonged periods of high intensity rainfall. Compounding the risk of slope failure is the existence of loose fill slopes which were constructed prior to the 1970s by end-tipping. A clear understanding of the underlying triggering mechanisms of fast landslides in fill slopes is required to analyse landslide risk and to optimise slope stabilisation strategies. The work described here had the objective of evaluating two candidate triggering mechanisms—static liquefaction and the transition from slide to flow due to localised transient pore water pressures—against observations of slope behaviour obtained from highly instrumented centrifuge model tests. These results indicate that static liquefaction is unlikely to occur if the model fill is unsaturated and the depth to bedrock large, as the high compressibility and mobility of air in the unsaturated void spaces allows the model fill slope to accommodate wetting collapse without initiating undrained failure. In contrast, high-speed failures with low-angle run-outs are shown to be easily triggered in model fill slopes from initially slow moving slips driven by localised transient pore water pressures arising from constricted seepage and material layering.     

Effect of Rainfall Intensity on Infiltration into Partly Saturated Slopes

This paper describes the development of a model to analyse the rate of infiltration and run-off experienced by a partly saturated soil slope during rainfall. The paper first reviews some of the most popular infiltration models used in geotechnical analysis, and highlights some of the problems associated with their application. One particular model, the Horton Equation is extended to include rainfall intensity directly in its formulation. The new model is shown to predict infiltration responses, which agree with field measurements. In the final section the influence of the rainfall intensity and pattern of rainfall (variation of rainfall intensity) on the infiltration response of a soil is investigated using the new model.     

土壤水分监测仪器野外对比测试分析研究

近年来,随着抗旱工作的全面深入开展,土壤墒情监测工作日益得到重视。鉴于目前我国土壤墒情自动监测工作起步较晚,部分省(自治区、直辖市)试点建设的墒情自动监测系统的监测数据准确性、稳定性不高等问题,水利部水文局组织对目前在国内应用的国内外主要土壤水分传感器开展了两期土壤水分监测仪器野外对比测试分析研究。根据两期比测研究成果,结合近年来土壤墒情监测工作经验,提出了比测技术方法、评估技术指标,初步分析了不同产品性能,并进一步探讨提出了提高土壤水分监测仪器产品质量和土壤墒情监测数据可靠性的建议。     

Influence of rainfall-induced wetting on the stability of slopes in weathered soils

Shallow failures of slopes in weathered soil are caused by infiltration due to prolonged rainfall. These failures are mainly triggered by the deepening of the wetting band accompanied by a decrease in matric suction induced by the water infiltration. This paper reports trends of rainfall-induced wetting band depth in two types of weathered soils that are commonly found in Korea. Both theoretical and numerical analyses for wetting band depth are presented based on the soil–water characteristic curve obtained using filter paper as well as tensiometer tests. It is found that the magnitude of wetting front suction plays a key role in the stability of slopes in weathered soils. Theoretical analysis based on modified Green and Ampt model tends to underestimate the wetting band depth for typical Korean weathered soils. It was also deduced that for Korean weathered soils, the factor of safety drops rapidly once the wetting band depth of 1.2 m reached.