Abstract
This paper presents experimental results obtained from silty sand slope models subjected to an artificial rainfall. Four models were constructed to evaluate the effect of initial water content and rainfall intensity on the hydraulic behavior and failure mechanisms of the slopes. The models were instrumented with volumetric water content sensors to monitor the advance of the water front, and inclinometers to measure lateral movements of the slope. The models were subjected to rainfall intensities ranging from 25 to 50 mm/h, and durations from 19 to 152 minutes. The influence of low intensity rainfall events before a high intensity rainfall is discussed herein. The results showed that the time the slope models required to reach failure was influenced by the soil initial water content, being shorter at high initial water contents. These results are useful to understand the behavior of unsaturated natural slopes and embankments exposed to rainfall infiltration, and to complement the existing laboratory database existing in this subject.
Highlights
Among natural hazards, landslides occur virtually anywhere in the world
The hydrological response of the four (4) slope models subjected to an artificial rainfall and the failure mechanisms observed on their slopes were analyzed by interpreting the data recorded by the inclinometers and VWC sensors installed near the surface (M1, M4, M7, and M9)
Slope model test SM-01 was prepared with IWCs ranging from 12 % to 15 %, and subjected to an artificial rainfall intensity of 50 mm/h during 21 minutes
Summary
Landslides occur virtually anywhere in the world. They are attributed to many factors, it is widely recognized that rainfall infiltration is the main trigger of slope instability. Landslides triggered by rainfall are shallow in nature [1], and can occur during a heavy rainfall or immediately after it [2]. They usually occur on slopes that are marginally stable and involve different types of unsaturated soils such as colluvial and residual soils [3,4]. It is essential to understand a variety of problems related to runoff prediction due to heavy rainfall, sediment transport and flooding control, rainfall-induced landslides, estimation of aquifers recharge, estimation of water availability for plants, contaminants’ travel velocity, etc
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