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Understanding the Mechanism of Large-Scale Landslides

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Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 2

Abstract

We review recent work on large-scale landslide research that has been carrying out by the State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, SKLGP. Based on intensive field investigations of large-scale landslides, several failure modes of gravitational and earthquake-induced landslides were proposed, which are widely applied in landslide hazard assessment and mitigation in China. For the gravitational landslides (including the rainfall-induced ones), a locking-section that resists landslide deformation has been commonly observed in many cases. The failure of the locking-section under the natural or human forces often causes the sudden failure of the whole slope, producing large-scale and high-speed landslides. Another failure mechanism “toppling” is not a new term, but the deep-seated large-scale toppling failures have been rarely studied. The slopes composed by anti-inclined lamellar weak strata or weak-hard rock intercalated strata are characterized by this type of failure. The toppling degree and stability are closed related to the strength and thickness of rock strata. The rock strata may experience large flexible bending deformations and failure only occurs when the deformation accumulates to a certain critical value. A deformation zone classification is proposed to assess the deformation stage and degree of toppling failure, which is also a key to evaluate the stability and mitigation of such type of landslides.

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Acknowledgment

This study is financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Grant No.2013CB733202) and the Key Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.41130745). The author would like to acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Xuanmei Fan, Dr. Rongyan Li, Dr. Yonghong Luo and Dr. Guo Li of Chengdu University of Technology, who provided help for the paper organization and English editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China

    Runqiu Huang

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  1. Runqiu Huang
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Correspondence to Runqiu Huang .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. for Geo-hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Turin, Italy

    Giorgio Lollino

  2. Inst. for Geo-hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Turin, Italy

    Daniele Giordan

  3. Dept. of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Milan Bicocca, Milan, Italy

    Giovanni B. Crosta

  4. Dept. of Geotechn. Engin. & Geosciences, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Corominas

  5. Dept. of Engin. Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Rafig Azzam

  6. Inst. for Geo-hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Bari, Italy

    Janusz Wasowski

  7. University G. D'Annunzi Chieti Pescara, Chieti, Italy

    Nicola Sciarra

Appendix A: 50 historical catastrophic landslides in recent 100 years

Appendix A: 50 historical catastrophic landslides in recent 100 years

No.

Time

Name

Location

Longitude

Latitude

Fatalities

Triggering factor

1

1905/6/9

Nanmenwan landslide

Wuxi, Chongqing

109.6301

31.3955

98

Rainfall

2

1921/7/18

Pufugou landslide

Luquan, Yunnan

102.5962

26.1686

7

Rainfall

3

1935/11/25

Luchedu landslide

Huidong, Sichuan

102.3144

26.1927

286

Rainfall

4

1935/12/22

Shabagou landslide

Qiaojia, Yunnan

102.9950

27.0077

280

Rainfall

5

1942/7/1

Jiawucun landslide

Xide, Sichuan

102.3175

28.0542

190

Rainfall

6

1943/1/3

Chana landslide

Gonghe, Qinghai

100.8067

36.0678

114

Snowmelt

7

1956/8/3

Langjiaogou landslide

Pingshun, Shanxi

113.5707

36.3433

92

Rainfall

8

1961/3/6

Tangyanguan landslide

Anhua, Hunan

111.1108

28.3137

40

Impoundment

9

1963/7/9

Wudangqu landslide

Guiyang, Guizhou

106.7708

26.6188

7

Rainfall

10

1964/7/20

Hongshuigou landslide

Lanzhou, Gansu

103.5881

36.0637

157

Rainfall

11

1965/11/20

Lannigou landslide

Luquan, Yunnan

102.5964

26.1716

444

Rainfall

12

1996/12/4

Shachonglu landslide

Guiyang, Guizhou

106.6912

26.5461

35

Slope cutting

13

1970/5/26

Lugutiekuang landslide

Mianning, Sichuan

102.2577

28.2852

104

Rainfall

14

1971/8/16

Maidi landslide

Hanyuan, Sichuan

102.7052

29.3727

40

Irrigation

15

1974/9/14

Baimeiya landslide

Nanjiang, Sichuan

106.9991

32.4462

159

Rainfall

16

1980/6/3

Yanchihe rockfall

Yuan’an, Hubei

111.2998

31.2086

281

Underground mining

17

1982/7/18

Jipazi landslide

Yunyang, Chongqing

108.7430

30.9282

0

Rainfall

18

1983/3/7

Saleshan landslide

Dongxiang, Gansu

103.5837

35.5707

240

Rainfall

19

1983/7/2

Laojia landslide

Qiaojia, Yunnan

102.9780

26.9438

32

Rainfall

20

1983/7/29

Zhongtingxiang landslide

Wanyuan, Sichuan

108.4235

32.1067

7

Rainfall

21

1983/8/31

Fengshanfenkuang landslide

Yimen, Yunnan

101.9507

24.6605

11

Underground mining

22

1985/8/21

Dapingshan landslide

Tengchong, Yunnan

98.4241

25.5115

22

Rainfall

23

1988/1/10

Zhongyangcun-1 landslide

Wuxi, Chongqing

109.5229

31.5836

33

Blasting

24

1989/7/10

Xikou landslide

Huaying, Sichuan

106.7261

30.1740

221

Rainfall

25

1991/6/17

Donglongshan landslide

Wushan, Chongqing

109.9908

31.0631

7

Underground mining

26

1991/9/23

Touzhaigou landslide

Zhaotong, Yunnan

103.8542

27.5676

216

Rainfall

27

1994/4/30

Jiguanling rockfall

Wulong, Chongqing

107.494

29.4685

16

Underground mining

28

1996/6/3

Laojinshan landslide

Yuanyang, Yunnan

103.1305

22.8554

227

Underground mining

29

1996/9/19

Yankou landslide

Yinjiang, Guizhou

108.4423

27.9936

3

Rainfall

30

1997/6/5

Bo’amo landslide

Meigu, Sichuan

103.2875

28.1215

150

Rainfall

31

1998/5/22

Yanxihe landslide

Nanjiang, Sichuan

106.5988

31.9935

0

Rainfall

32

1998/5/1

Gangkouzhen landslide

Wulong, Chongqing

107.7453

29.3312

79

Rainfall

33

2000/4/9

Yigong landslide

Bomi, Tibet

94.9914

30.2422

0

Snowmelt

34

2000/6/6

Shuangliu landslide

Gulin, Sichuan

106.1757

27.9298

10

Rainfall

35

2000/8/14

Yingjiang landslide

Yingjiang, Yunnan

97.9822

24.7591

13

Rainfall

36

2003/7/13

Qianjiangping landslide

Zigui, Hubei

110.6023

30.9757

24

Rainfall

37

2004/9/5

Tiantaixiang landslide

Xuanhan, Sichuan

108.0571

31.4355

0

Rainfall

38

2004/12/3

Yanjiao rockfall

Nayong, Guizhou

105.2484

26.6974

44

Rainfall

39

2007/7/7

Bao’eryan landslide

Daxian, Sichuan

107.4635

31.5103

0

Rainfall

40

2007/7/19

Sujiahedianzhan landslide

Tengchong, Yunnan

98.2578

25.3392

29

Slope cutting

41

2007/11/20

Gaoyangzhai landslide

Badong, Hubei

110.3288

30.6227

35

Rainfall

42

2009/4/26

Yangtiyan landslide

Zhaotong, Yunnan

105.0540

27.8591

20

Rainfall

43

2009/6/5

Jiweishan landslide

Wulong, Chongqing

107.4329

29.2322

74

Underground mining

44

2009/8/6

Houziyan landslide

Hanyuan, Sichuan

102.7819

29.3131

31

Rainfall

45

2010/6/14

Shuangjigou landslide

Kangding, Sichuan

102.2894

30.4354

23

Rainfall

46

2010/6/28

Guanling landslide

Guanling, Guizhou

105.3302

25.9564

99

Rainfall

47

2010/7/27

Ermanshan landslide

Hanyuan, Sichuan

102.7439

29.3225

20

Rainfall

48

2010/9/1

Dashifang landslide

Baoshan, Yunnan

98.9863

25.5744

48

Rainfall

49

2011/9/17

Bailuyuan landslide

Xi’an, Shaanxi

109.1

34.2667

32

Rainfall

50

2013/7/10

Wulipo landslide

Sichuan

103.57

30.91

148

Rainfall

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Huang, R. (2015). Understanding the Mechanism of Large-Scale Landslides. In: Lollino, G., et al. Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09057-3_2

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