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Development of a GIS-based failure investigation system for highway soil slopes

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Abstract

A framework for preparation of an early warning system was developed for Maryland, using a GIS database and a collective overlay of maps that highlight highway slopes susceptible to soil slides or slope failures in advance through spatial and statistical analysis. Data for existing soil slope failures was collected from geotechnical reports and field visits. A total of 48 slope failures were recorded and analyzed. Six factors, including event precipitation, geological formation, land cover, slope history, slope angle, and elevation were considered to affect highway soil slope stability. The observed trends indicate that precipitation and poor surface or subsurface drainage conditions are principal factors causing slope failures. 96% of the failed slopes have an open drainage section. A majority of the failed slopes lie in regions with relatively high event precipitation (P>200 mm). 90% of the existing failures are surficial erosion type failures, and only 1 out of the 42 slope failures is deep rotational type failure. More than half of the analyzed slope failures have occurred in regions having low density land cover. 46% of failures are on slopes with slope angles between 20° and 30°. Influx of more data relating to failed slopes should give rise to more trends, and thus the developed slope management system will aid the state highway engineers in prudential budget allocation and prioritizing different remediation projects based on the literature reviewed on the principles, concepts, techniques, and methodology for slope instability evaluation (Leshchinsky et al., 2015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paul C. Rizzo Associates, Inc., 500 Penn Center Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA, 15235, USA

    Raghav Ramanathan

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Ahmet H. Aydilek

  3. Department of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Burak F. Tanyu

Authors
  1. Raghav Ramanathan
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  2. Ahmet H. Aydilek
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  3. Burak F. Tanyu
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Correspondence to Ahmet H. Aydilek.

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Ramanathan, R., Aydilek, A.H. & Tanyu, B.F. Development of a GIS-based failure investigation system for highway soil slopes. Front. Earth Sci. 9, 165–178 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-014-0485-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-014-0485-0

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