Landslide at km 56.4 along the Irbid-Amman Highway, Northern Jordan

Abstract

Abstract During the last 30 years, the northern part of Jordan has been affected by many landslides. In 1992, which was a very wet year, 67 landslides of different volumes occurred. These mainly affected the Late Cretaceous Naur Group, which is well known for being prone to slope movements of many types and sizes. This article describes the Jueidya slide which occurred on the night of 13 August 1992 after a very wet winter at Jueidya village, at station km 56.4 along the under-construction highway between Irbid and Amman. This landslide affected ~250 m of the highway, destroying two houses, causing the evacuation of 10 others, and delaying the opening of the highway for several months. The bedrock of the study area consists of Late Cretaceous marl, limestone, and dolomite of Cenomanian age. These rocks are overlain by younger colluvium, essentially loose materials detached from the bedrock masses by chemical, mechanical, and/or tectonic processes. In addition, the area is partially covered by caliche. Monitoring during the last five years has indicated that the slope is still active, and that the present location of the highway in this portion will continue to be affected by future sliding. This article presents geological and geotechnical studies of the slide area with special emphasis on the geostructures that affect slope stability. A stability analysis for this solution is given, and a comparison between the present as-built road and the recommended solution is also presented.