Mass Movements

Engineering Geology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ferguson-slide.jpg

Landslide on California state route 140, June 2006

Introduction
Mass movements refer to the movements of superficial earth material Mass Wasting or Mass movements are known in popular culture, as landslides They present baffling situations, involving heavy losses of life and property

Classification
Based on the type of failure, mass movements are classified into: o Flowage o Sliding o Subsidence

1. Flowage
Refers to a downgrade movement of mass, along no definite surface of failure It involves unconsolidated material The movement is distributed throughout the mass, hence it is of an irregular nature

Mudflow

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Slow and Rapid flowage

Slow flowage failure is not easily perceptible ground moves at rates less than a few centimeters per year Rapid flowage movement of the failing mass is easily visible the mass may travel a few meters a day
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Soil Creep
Involves the gradual, imperceptible down slope transit of soil Soil creep, mostly is a surface phenomenon Frost action and gravity play a prominent role

in soil creep
The rate of downgrade movement varies from

1mm to several centimeters a year

Soil creep

10 2010 Pearson Education

Effects of creep at Chalk Grasslands, Sussex, UK

Ian Alexander

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Pistol grip trees

12 seattletimes.nwsource.com

Solifluction
In solifluction, the soil moves in saturated conditions Solifluction regions is characteristic of permafrost

In summer, water melts only in the upper

regions of the soil In the presence of a gentle slope, soil grains will move down, in association with water
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Solifluction

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Earth and mud flows

Rapid types of mass movements Confined to clays and silts, they take place after heavy melting of snow and ice Wet clay is plastic, slips under its self weight Mud flows have a greater quantity of water per unit volume of the soil mass

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2. Sliding
In landslides, superficial mass fails by moving as a whole, along a definite surface of failure The mass above the failure surface is generally unstable, while that below it is

relatively stable
Sliding may involve material of any composition, shape and of varying degree of consolidation

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Types of landslides
Based on the type of movement involved in the failure, landslides are subdivided into: o Translational slides o Rotational slides

o Rock toppling and falls

o Debris slide/fall

o Slump
o Rock avalanche
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Translational Landslide

Highland, USGS & Bobrowsky, GSC

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Rotational Landslide

Highland, USGS & Bobrowsky, GSC

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Rotational Landslide in New Zealand

Michael J. Crozier, Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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Rock Toppling and Falls

Highland, USGS & Bobrowsky, GSC

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Rock toppling at Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada

G Bianchi Fasani 23

Debris fall

Highland, USGS & Bobrowsky, GSC

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Debris flow damage, Caraballeda, Venezuela, 1999

L.M. Smith, Waterways Experiment Station, U.S. Army 25 Corps of Engineers

Rock avalanche Amazing rock avalanche! - YouTube.flv

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3. Subsidence
Defined as the downward sinking or settling of the ground

Causes
Natural

Solution of subsurface rocks

Geological constitution Artificial Mining Removal of groundwater
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Subsidence

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Subsidence

britfa.gs

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Causes of Subsidence

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_Image_Rev1.svg

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Causes of Mass Movements

Internal Factors

Nature of the slope

Role of water

Composition of the mass

Geological structures External Factors

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1.1 Nature of the slope

Refers to: o The type of material (soil or rock), making up the land mass o The angle of the slope (angle made with the horizontal)

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Stability of slope
A slope is subjected to: o Forces which help to retain its position in space shearing resistance o Forces that tend to induce failure gravity

shearing strength,
= c + tan

Angle of repose the angle of slope, up to which

a material is stable
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Gravity & angle of slope

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1.2 Role of water

1. Causes uplift/pore pressure, within the mass 2. Water accumulating in the back of a mass exerts a pressure parallel to the direction of flow

3. Frost action
4. Lubricating action along planes of weakness

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Influence of water on stability

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1.3 Composition of the mass

Nature of the mass - soil or rock? Composition of the soil sandy, silty or clayey? Type and class of rock Texture of the rock influences porosity and permeability

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1.4 Geological Structures

The bedding planes (in sedimentary rocks) The schistosity (in metamorphic rocks) The jointing structures, faults and shear zones in all types of rocks

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1.4.1 The Bedding planes

The bedding planes may be horizontal or dipping The layers are horizontal (dip = 0)

The layers are inclined

Slope on the right

dipping into the mountain, stable Slope on the left

dipping into the

http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol204/slopestability.htm

valley, unstable

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Influence of Dip, on Mass Wasting

Unstable

Stable

Thompson & Turk

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1.4.2 The Metamorphic structures

Schistosity, foliation and cleavage structures of metamorphic rocks are surfaces of weakness Weathering, take place along these planes,

making them vulnerable

Slips are common, when these planes are

inclined towards the free side of the slope

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1.4.3 The Jointing structures

Jointing structures are common in rocks They occur in groups, reduce the shear strength of the rocks The geometry, spacing, grouping and inclination w.r.t the face of the slope is to be studied

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2. External factors
Artificial and natural vibrations Removal of support at the foot of the slope Loading a critical region of the slope from above Deforestation

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Factors influencing slope stability

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Deforestation and Landslides

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Monitoring and Control of Mass Movements

A. Monitoring Detection in advance, the symptoms indicative of slope failure Use of conventional surveying techniques in

combination with sophisticated instrumentation

Settlement gauges, extensometers & piezometers (for pore water pressure) are used B. Control
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Control Techniques
A detailed geological examination reveals: Composition of the failing mass Structural disposition of the mass Position of the groundwater table Slope of the ground

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Control Techniques (contd.)

Drainage Restraining structures Rock reinforcement Slope treatment

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1. Drainage
Involves removal of water from the mass, prevention of water from reaching the mass May be surface or sub-surface drainage, or a combination of both

Ditches, interception drains are provided for

drainage purposes

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Sub-surface drainage to prevent landslides

http://www.horizontaldrill.com/services/hillsidestability.htm

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2. Restraining structures
Retaining walls are successful, when: The ground is neither too fine, nor too plastic The sliding mass is likely to remain dry The movement is of shallow nature and limited extent

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A Gabion Retaining wall that failed

http://stevengivler.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

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Failure

http://stevengivler.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

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3. Rock reinforcement
Rock bolts are used to tie up different rock blocks together

Rock anchors are used for larger areas, such

as foundations

Rock bolts expand within the rock, thereby

stabilizing it Rock anchors are made up of structural elements like cables or bars
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Rock bolt

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4. Slope treatment
Guniting applying mortar/concrete, under pressure Afforestation Other methods: Flattening the slope Decreasing the load on the slope

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Guniting

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Afforestation

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Reference
Parbin Singh, Engineering and General Geology, S K Kataria & Sons

Chenna Kesavulu, N, Textbook of Engineering Geology,

MacMillan India Thompson, G R and J Turk, Introduction to Physical

Geology, Thomson Brooks/Cole

The Landslide Handbook A Guide to Understanding

Landslides, Highland, USGS & Bobrowsky, GSC

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