Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

On erosion characteristics of compacted loess during wetting procedure under laboratory conditions

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The erosion of engineered slope surfaces has become an urgent problem in loess regions in China, which has a serious impact on the safety and stability of the slope projects. In this paper, to study the effect of the confining pressure, dry density of the slope surface, and water flow velocity during wetting procedure on the erosion characteristics of compacted loess, we developed a laterally confined uniaxial compression-erosion apparatus, which was characterized by the fact that it can change the confining pressure of the being eroded soil sample to analyze the loess erosion rates and particle size distributions of the eroded sediments. The fractal dimensions of the eroded sediments were calculated by fractal theory and their variations were analyzed. Results show that the erosion rate is approximately linearly related to the confining pressure. The higher pressure has a tendency to move towards the free top of soil sample, the erosion rate increases. Compared with the water flow velocity, the higher confining pressure plays a greater role in the erosion rate, the influence of water flow velocity on the erosion rate decreases. With the increase of dry density, the erosion rate decreases, the higher dry density enhances the ability of soil sample to resist water erosion. The confining pressure changes the particle size distribution of the eroded sediments of loess samples, the median diameter D50 increases. However, the fractal dimension decreases with the increase in confining pressure. The confining pressure of slope surface has a negative effect on the loess anti-erosion characteristics. The results in this paper would provide detailed information on the mechanisms of loess erosion, which could contribute toward prevention of surface erosion of high fill slopes in loess regions.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahamed TRN, Rao KG, Murthy JSR (2000) Fuzzy class membership approach to soil erosion modelling. Agric Syst 63(2):110

    Google Scholar 

  • Ali F (2010) Use of vegetation for slope protection: root mechanical properties of some tropical plants. Int J Phys Sci 5(5):496–506

    Google Scholar 

  • Cascini L, Ferlisi S (2014) Introduction to the thematic set of papers on the quantitative analysis of landslide risk. Bull Eng Geol Env 73(2):207–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cascini L, Cuomo S, Pastor M, Sorbino G (2009) Modeling of rainfall-induced shallow landslides of the flow-type. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 136(1):85–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cerdà A, Flanagan DC, Bissonnais YL, Boardman J (2009) Soil erosion and agriculture. Soil Tillage Res 106(1):107–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang J, Song S, Feng H (2016) Analysis of loess slope stability considering cracking and shear failures. J Fail Anal Prev 16(6):982–989

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen NS, Zhou W, Yang CL, Hu GS, Gao YC, Han D (2010) The processes and mechanism of failure and debris flow initiation for gravel soil with different clay content. Geomorphology 121(3–4):222–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark LA, Wynn TM (2007) Methods for determining streambank critical shear stress and soil erodibility: implications for erosion rate predictions. Trans ASABE 50(1):95–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crowley RW, Bloomquist D, Robeck C (2012) Description of erosion rate testing devices and correlations between rock erosion rate and cohesion. Proc ICSE6 205–213

  • Cuomo S, Della Sala M, Novità Antonio (2015) Physically based modelling of soil erosion induced by rainfall in small mountain basins. Geomorphology 243:106–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuomo S, Chareyre B, D’Arista P, Sala MD, Cascini L (2016a) Micromechanical modelling of rainsplash erosion in unsaturated soils by discrete element method. CATENA 147:146–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuomo S, Sala MD, Pierri M (2016b) Experimental evidences and numerical modelling of runoff and soil erosion in flume tests. CATENA 147:61–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dibiase RA, Whipple KX (2011) The influence of erosion thresholds and runoff variability on the relationships among topography, climate, and erosion rate. J Geophys Res 116(F4):1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan X, Xie Y, Ou T, Lu H (2011) Effects of soil erosion on long-term soil productivity in the black soil region of Northeastern China. CATENA 87(2):268–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durnford D, King JP (1993) Experimental study of processes and particle-size distributions of eroded soil. J Irrig Drain Eng 119(2):383–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox GA, Wilson GV, Simon A, Langendoen EJ, Akay O, Fuchs JW (2007) Measuring streambank erosion due to ground water seepage: correlation to bank pore water pressure, precipitation and stream stage. Earth Surf Proc Landf J Br Geomorphol Res Group 32(10):1558–1573

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghebreiyessus YT, Gantzer CJ, Alberts EE, Lentz RW (1994) Soil erosion by concentrated flow: shear stress and bulk density. Trans ASAE 37(6):1791–1797

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gurtug Y, Sridharan A (2002) Prediction of compaction characteristics of fine-grained soils. Geotechnique 52(10):761–763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hai HAP, Huon S, Tureaux THD, Orange D, Jouquet P, Valentin C et al (2012) Impact of fodder cover on runoff and soil erosion at plot scale in a cultivated catchment of North Vietnam. Geoderma 177:8–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Holthusen D, Haas C, Peth S, Horn R (2012) Are standard values the best choice? A critical statement on rheological soil fluid properties viscosity and surface tension. Soil Tillage Res 125:61–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang M, Hu H, Liu F (2012) Summary of collapsible behaviour of artificially structured loess in oedometer and triaxial wetting tests. Can Geotech J 49(10):1147–1157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang MJ, Li T, Hu HJ, Thornton C (2014) DEM analyses of one-dimensional compression and collapse behaviour of unsaturated structural loess. Comput Geotech 60:47–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Labrière Nicolas, Locatelli B, Laumonier Y, Freycon V, Bernoux M (2015) Soil erosion in the humid tropics: a systematic quantitative review. Agric Ecosyst Environ 203:127–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lei T, Xia W, Zhao J, Liu Z, Zhang Q (2005) Method for measuring velocity of shallow water flow for soil erosion with an electrolyte tracer. J Hydrol 301(1):139–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Léonard J, Richard G (2004) Estimation of runoff critical shear stress for soil erosion from soil shear strength. CATENA 57(3):233–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung AK, Ng CWW (2016) Field investigation of deformation characteristics and stress mobilisation of a soil slope. Landslides 13:229–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li P, Li Z, Zheng L (2006) Hydrodynamics process of soil erosion and sediment yield by runoff on Loess Slope. Adv Water Sci 17:444–449

    Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Sun H, Sun X, Shang Y (2009) Influence of rainfall infiltration on slopes by physical model test. Chin J Geotech Eng 21:589–594

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Qi D, Yu Y, Yang Z (2014) Analysis on wetting deformation properties of silty clay. J Eng Sci Technol Rev 7(3):39–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López-Vicente Manuel, Navas A (2009) Predicting soil erosion with rusle in mediterranean agricultural systems at catchment scale. Soil Sci 174(5):272–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandal S, Maiti R (2015) Semi-quantitative approaches for landslide assessment and prediction. Slope Stability model and landslide susceptibility using geo-technical properties of soil. Springer, Singapore, pp 167–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Matteo LD, Bigotti F, Ricco R (2009) Best-fit models to estimate modified proctor properties of compacted soil. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 135(7):992–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer LD, Line DE, Harmon WC (1992) Size characteristics of sediment from agricultural soils. J Soil Water Conserv 47(1):107–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan RPC, Quinton JN, Smith RE, Govers G, Poesen JWA, Auerswald K et al (1998) The european soil erosion model (eurosem): a dynamic approach for predicting sediment transport from fields and small catchments. Earth Surf Proc Land 23(6):527–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nearing MA, Foster GR, Lane LJ, Finkner SC (1989) A process-based soil erosion model for USDA-water erosion prediction project technology. Trans ASAE 32:1587–1593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olivier C, Jean P, Gérard G, Nicolas S (2006) Sheet and rill erosion. Soil Erosion Eur 501-513

  • Pastor M, Haddad B, Sorbino G, Cuomo S, Drempetic V (2010) A depth-integrated, coupled sph model for flow-like landslides and related phenomena. Int J Numer Anal Meth Geomech 33(2):143–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raei B, Asadi H, Moussavi A, Ghadiri H (2015) A study of initial motion of soil aggregates in comparison with sand particles of various sizes. CATENA 127:279–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rienzi EA, Fox JF, Grove JH, Matocha CJ (2013) Interrill erosion in soils with different land uses: the kinetic energy wetting effect on temporal particle size distribution. CATENA 107:130–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sidle RC, Furuichi T, Kono Y (2011) Unprecedented rates of landslide and surface erosion along a newly constructed road in Yunnan, China. Nat Hazards 57(2):313–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Staron L, Radjai F, Vilotte JP (2005) Multi-scale analysis of the stress state in a granular slope in transition to failure. Eur Phys J E 18(3):311–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyler SW, Wheatcraft SW (1989) Application of fractal mathematics to soil water retention estimation. Soil Sci Soc Am J 53(4):987–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyler SW, Wheatcraft SW (1992) Fractal scaling of soil particle-size distributions: analysis and limitations. Soil Sci Soc Am J 56(2):362–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Urciuoli G, Picarelli L, Leroueil S (2007) Local soil failure before general slope failure. Geotech Geol Eng 25(1):103–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uri ND (2001) A note on soil erosion and its environmental consequences in the united states. Water Air Soil Pollut 129(1–4):181–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walling DE, Moorehead PW (1989) The particle size characteristics of fluvial suspended sediment: an overview. Hydrobiologia 176(137):125–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Cai Q, Cai C, Sun L (2014) Morphological changes of rill on loess slope and its relationship with flow velocity. Trans Chin Soc Agric Eng 30(11):110–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Q, Li D, Zhuo M, Guo T, Liao Y, Xie Z (2015) Effects of rainfall intensity and slope gradient on erosion characteristics of the red soil slope. Stoch Env Res Risk Assess 29(2):609–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11972374, 51509257).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Airfield and Building Engineering, Air Force Engineering University, Xi’an, 710038, Shaanxi, China

    Zhihua Yao, Jun Zhang & Maojiang Zhu

  2. Air Force Designing Institute of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, 510030, Guangdong, China

    Jie Lian

Authors
  1. Zhihua Yao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jie Lian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jun Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Maojiang Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jun Zhang.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yao, Z., Lian, J., Zhang, J. et al. On erosion characteristics of compacted loess during wetting procedure under laboratory conditions. Environ Earth Sci 78, 570 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-019-8588-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-019-8588-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation