Skip to main content
Log in

Evaluation of an enhanced FS method for finding the initiation time of earthquake-induced landslides

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, an examination of an enhanced FS method used for finding the initiation time of earthquake-induced landslides is presented. Validation was conducted via comparisons between the predicted and reported results of a benchmark site subjected to two major earthquake events: at Chi-Chi in 1999 (7.6 Mw) and Meinong in 2016 (6.4 Mw). To further validate the applicability of the ground motions utilized in this study, a finite element analysis was also carried out. Based on the results, satisfactory agreement between the predictions obtained by the enhanced FS method and the observed results in terms of the landslide initiation time was realized. Conclusions drawn from the study show that (a) the enhanced FS method can be both efficient and practical in finding the likely initiation time of a landslide, and it was found that the initiation time of the Tsaoling landslide during the Chi-Chi earthquake lay between 37.5 and 38.5 s; (b) when validating the enhanced FS method, the friction angle of 38.5o obtained from direct shear tests rather than a smaller value of 20.8o obtained from rotary-shear high-velocity friction experiments, led to a more appropriate results; and (c) the failure surface obtained by finite element codes was satisfactory when compared to the observed result.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Biot MA (1941) General theory of three-dimensional consolidation. J Appl Phys 12:155–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bundschuh J, Alvarado GE (2012) Central america: geology, resources and hazards. Taylor and Francis, New York, p 1230

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang KJ, Wei SK, Chen RF, Chan YC, Tsai PW, Kuo CY (2013) Empirical modal decomposition of near field seismic signals of Tsaoling landslide. In: Ugai K, Yagi H, Wakai A (eds) Earthquake-induced landslides. Springer, Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen CW (2005) Primary study of the rock mechanics around the Chelungpu-fault (Master’s thesis). Department of Civil Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei

  • Chen TC, Lin ML, Wang KL (2014) Landslide seismic signal recognition and mobility for an earthquake-induced rockslide in Tsaoling, Taiwan. Eng Geol 171:31–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis LL, West LR (1973) Observed effects of topography on ground motion. Bull Seism Soc am 63:281–298

    Google Scholar 

  • Guthrie RH, Evans SG, Catane SG, Zarco MAH, Saturay RM Jr (2009) The 17 February 2006 rockslide-debris avalanche at Guinsaugon Philippines: a synthesis. Bull Eng geo Environ 68:201–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ho CS (1994) An introduction to the geology of Taiwan explanatory text of the geologic map of Taiwan. Central Geological Survey, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan (in Chinese)

  • Houston SL, Houston WN, Padilla JM (1987) Microcomputeraided evaluation of earthquake-induced permanent slope displacements. Microcomput civ Eng 2:207–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang CC, Lee YH, Liu HP, Keefer DK, Jibson RW (2001) Influence of surface-normal ground acceleration on the initiation of the Jih-Feng-Erh-Shan landslide during the 1999 chi-chi, Taiwan, earthquake. Bull Seismol Soc am 91(5):953–958

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hung JJ, Lee CT, Lin ML (2002) Tsao-ling Rockslides, Taiwan. Rev Eng Geol 15:91–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jibson RW (2007) Regression models for estimating Coseismic landslide displacement. Eng Geol 91:209–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jibson RW, Keefer DK (1988) Landslides triggered by earthquakes in the central Mississippi Valley Tennessee and Kentucky. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1336-C

  • Jibson RW, Keefer DL (1989) Statistical analysis of factors affecting landslide distribution in the New Madrid seismic zone. Tennessee and Kentucky. Eng Geol 27:509–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuo CY, Tai YC, Bouchut F, Mangeney A, Pelanti M, Chen RF, Chang KJ (2009) Simulation of Tsaoling landslide, Taiwan, based on saint Venant equations over general topography. Eng Geol 104(3):181–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee CN (2001) Preliminary study on the Tsao-ling landslide area under earthquake (Master’s thesis). National Taiwan University, Taipei

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee WHK, Shin TC, Kuo KW, et al (2001) CWB free-field strong-motion data from the 921 Chi-Chi Earthquake: processed acceleration files on CD-ROM. Strong-Motion Data Series CD-001, Seismological observation Center, Central Weather Bureau

  • Lin ML, Wang KL (2006) Seismic slope behavior in a large-scale shaking table model test. Eng Geol 86:118–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ling HI (2001) Recent applications of sliding block theory to geotechnical design. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 21:189–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ling HI, Cheng AH-D (1997) Rock sliding induced by seismic force. Int J Rock Mech Min 34(6):1021–1029

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miyamoto Y, Shimamoto T, Togo T, et al (2009) Dynamic weakening of bedding-parallel fault gouge as a possible mechanism for catastrophic Tsaoling landslide induced by 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake. The Next Generation of Research on Earthquake-induced Landslides: An International Conference in Commemoration of 10th Anniversary of the Chi-Chi Earthquake, p 398–401

  • Mononobe N, Matsuo H (1929) On the determination of earth pressure during earthquake. Proc, World Engrg Conf 9:176

    Google Scholar 

  • Newmark NM (1965) Effects of earthquakes on dams and embankments. Geotechnique 15(2):139–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen KV, Gatmiri B (2007) Evaluation of seismic ground motion induced by topographic irregularity. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 27(2):183–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okabe S (1926) General theory of earth pressure. J Jpn Soc Civ Engrs, Tokyo, Japan, 12(1)

  • Paolucci (2002) Amplification of earthquake ground motion by steep topographic irregularities. Earthq Eng Struct Dyn 31:1831–1853

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plaxis (2015) Reference and material models manual. Plaxis bc, Netherlands.

  • Sepulveda SA, Murphy W, Jibson RW, Petley DN (2005) Seismically induced rock slope failures resulting from topographic amplification of strong ground motions: the case of Pacoima canyon, California. Eng Geol 80(3–4):336–348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Syu HS (2016) Earthquake-induced landslide: analysis of the initiation-time and failure surfaces (Master’s thesis). National Cheng Kung University, Tainan

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang CL, Hu JC, Lin ML, Angelier J, Lu CY, Chan YC, Chu HT (2009) The Tsaoling landslide triggered by the chi-chi earthquake, Taiwan: insights from a discrete element Simulation. Eng Geol 106(1):1–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang KL, Lin ML (2011) Initiation and displacement of landslide induced by earthquake-a study of shaking table model slope test. Eng Geol 122:106–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wartman J, Bray JD, Seed RB (2003) Inclined plane studies of the Newmark sliding block procedure. J Geotech Geoenviron 129:673–684

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West TR (2010) Geology applied to engineering. Waveland Press, p 33

  • Wieczorek GF, Wilson RC, Harp EL (1985) Map showing slope stability during earthquakes in San Mateo County California: US Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Map I-1257-E, scale 1:62,500

  • Wilson RC, Keefer DK (1983) Dynamic analysis of a slope failure from the 6 august 1979 coyote Lake, California, earthquake. Bull Seismol Soc am 73(3):863–877

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong KS, Zhao J, Goh A (1995) Proceedings of Bengt B Broms Symposium on Geotechnical Engineering. World Scientific, Singapore, p 33

  • Wu JH, Chen CH (2011) Application of DDA to simulate characteristics of the Tsaoling landslide. Comput Geotech 38(5):741–750

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang CM, Yu WL, Dong JJ, Kuo CY, Shimamoto T, Lee CT, Togo T, Miyamoto Y (2014) Initiation, movement, and run-out of the Giant Tsaoling landslide-what can we learn from a simple rigid block model and a velocity–displacement dependent friction law? Eng Geol 182:158–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zienkiewicz OC, Humpheson C, Lewis RW (1975) Associated and non-associated visco-plasticity and plasticity in soil mechaics. Geotechnique 25:671–689

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial supports from the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (Grants 104-2218-E-006-029 and 105-2221-E-006-042). The source of all seismic information included in this paper was from the Seismology Center, Central Weather Bureau (CWB), Taipei, Taiwan.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ching Hung.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lin, GW., Hung, C. & Syu, HS. Evaluation of an enhanced FS method for finding the initiation time of earthquake-induced landslides. Bull Eng Geol Environ 78, 497–506 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-017-1083-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-017-1083-7

Keywords

Navigation