Development of a slope failure database for Alabama highways

Abstract

Slope stability management systems (SSMSs) have been developed by multiple state transportation agencies to assess landslides adjacent to highways and aide in the effective allocation of resources for slope and/or roadway repairs. SSMSs catalog and analyze slope failures through the use of three main components: a landslide data collection system, a geographic information systems (GIS) database, and a hazard prioritization system. The components form a landslide management system used for the identification or prediction of landslide risk areas and the determination of landslide hazards to motorists. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has not previously employed a SSMS, which limits the ability of ALDOT engineers and geologists to effectively manage landslide hazards along highways. This paper discusses the development of a landslide collection system and database developed to improve the ability of ALDOT to identify common causes and locations of slope failures along Alabama highways. The collected data were converted into a GIS database, which allows for correlations between landslides and additional spatial data, such as average precipitation and surface geology. This paper presents a brief review of similar SMSSs, reviews the proposed database, and discusses preliminary observations. The data collected from this study can be used to identify common causes of landslides along Alabama highways and select efficient remediation options.