Geotechnical and Structural Failures Due to Heavy Rainfall of Mindulle Typhoon in Taiwan

Abstract

On July 2, 2004, a 2000-kilometer southwest air current, following the Mindulle Typhoon, caused serious harms to Taiwan. Though this event did not trigger off the most serious damages, the disaster resulted in extensive geological and structural failures. Some of the observations and causes of failures were identified. This case history showed significant implications to future disaster prevention and management works with the hope that it will attract new challenges for geotechnical engineering in solving rainfall-induced failures.