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Assessment of stability problems at southern engineered slopes along Mersin-Tarsus Motorway in Turkey

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Abstract

This paper describes the cut slope stability problems of southern engineered slopes along 57 km long Mersin-Tarsus Motorway. While the northern slopes were slipping during and following construction, the stability problems occurred at southern slopes after heavy rains in December 2001. The most recent slope stability problem took place on chainage at the km 10+800 embankment on 9 April 2009. About 3.62 × 106 m3 soil materials have currently slipped at 60 different location. After the occurrence of slides, different remedial methods (reshaping slopes, soil improvements, etc.) have been applied to stabilize the slipped slopes. The slope stability studies were carried out using back analysis to determine the slope failure mechanisms and to estimate effective shear strength parameters. Pore water pressures increase following intense rainfall events and cause reduced resistance to shear strength at the engineered slopes. In addition, the affects of the static and dynamic parameters to analyse the state of the slope after excavation were investigated and possible remedies to improve the state (toe rockfill and retaining wall) were assessed for motorway slopes through determining the slope stability with water parameter and seismic loading, separately and together. The results of the stability analysis have exhibited that a good drainage system and retaining wall prevents the motorway slope slides.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Civil Engineer Bülent Gümüşöz and other Engineers (Republic of Turkey General Directorate of Highways, Mersin Division), and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cüneyt Güler for their help during this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Mersin University, 33343, Mersin, Turkey

    Hidayet Taga

  2. Geological Engineering Department, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Çukurova University, 01330, Adana, Turkey

    Sedat Turkmen

  3. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanism, General Director of Geographic Information Systems, Ankara, Turkey

    Nagehan Kacka

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  1. Hidayet Taga
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  2. Sedat Turkmen
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  3. Nagehan Kacka
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Correspondence to Hidayet Taga.

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Taga, H., Turkmen, S. & Kacka, N. Assessment of stability problems at southern engineered slopes along Mersin-Tarsus Motorway in Turkey. Bull Eng Geol Environ 74, 379–391 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-014-0636-2

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