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Centrifuge model tests on slopes subject to shaking and rainfall have been performed to examine the response of slopes with shaking-induced cracks to subsequent rainfall and evaluate the corresponding landslide-triggering mechanisms. The failure pattern of the slope subject to shaking and then rainfall was found different from that of the slope subject to only rainfall. When shaking caused cracks on the slope shoulder and rupture line below, the mobilized soil slid along the slip surface that extended to the rupture line, the main crack became the crown of the undisturbed ground once the slope was subject to a subsequent rain event, and the progression of the landslide was related to the rainfall intensity. During the landslide caused by light rainfall, the main scarp kept exposing itself in the vertically downward direction while the ground behind the main crack in the crack-containing slope remained undisturbed. The detrimental effect of cracks on soil displacement was more evident when the slope was exposed to heavy post-shaking rainfall, resulting in a rapid and massive landslide. Additionally, the volume of displaced material of the landslide, the main scarp area on the upper edge, and the zone of accumulation were larger in the crack-containing slope subject to heavy rainfall, in comparison with those in the crack-free slope. The deformation pattern of slopes with shaking-induced cracks during rainfall was closely related to rainfall intensity and the factor of safety provided a preliminary estimation of slope stability during rainfall. Moreover, even when subjected to the same rainfall, the slopes with antecedent shaking-induced cracks displayed different levels of deformation. The slope that experienced larger shaking had greater deformation under the following rainfall, and the shaking-induced slope deformation also controlled the slip surface location. Finally, the velocity of rainfall-induced landslide could be greatly influenced by the prior shaking event alone. Despite being under light rainfall, the slope that has encountered intense previous shaking exhibited an instant landslide.

Shallow landslides have posed significant threats to humans around the world. In order to reduce landslide disaster risk, the effectiveness of early warning systems and hazard zonation work needs to be improved. This research attempted to couple a landslide simulation model (LS-RAPID model) and a hydrological model (Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation (RRI) model) to exploit the advantages of each model for simulating and predicting landslide hazard (location and timing). The pilot area is a small catchment where a shallow landslide happened in July 2015 after 2 days of heavy rain. The landslide buried 3 houses and killed 8 people in Cao Thang Ward, Halong City, Vietnam. A soil sample was collected from the sliding surface and tested using an undrained ring-shear apparatus ICL-2 in the undrained condition. A thickness map of the potential sliding material was interpolated from the relationship between the depth of sandy soil layer and slope (based on 12 soil drill locations) and updated through field surveys in the study area. Different pore water pressure ratio scenarios were applied in the LS-RAPID model to simulate in 3D the initiation and motion of the rapid shallow landslide to create different hazard maps. The subsurface water level was monitored at two locations on the top of the shallow landslide. Based on the observed subsurface water and rainfall data, the RRI model was calibrated and then integrated with the LS-RAPID scenarios to generate Risk Index maps. The simulation results from the newly proposed coupled hydrological-geotechnical framework were compared with those from the observed landslide hazard and showed the reliability to predict the spatial and temporal occurrence of landslide hazard. This could be very useful for supporting decision-makers in rainfall-induced landslide hazard early warning and land use planning.

On September 28, 2016, the torrential rainfall carried by Typhoon Megi induced a catastrophic mudstone landslide in the Yanchao District of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. The total volume of the sliding mass was approximately 8700 m3, which blocked an industrial road and displaced a duplex house in the downslope, leading to three deaths. Unprecedentedly, the 2016 Yanchao landslide was large and quickly raised public awareness regarding the possibility of large landslides that could occur in the nearby mudstone areas. Based on field surveys, topographic and geological maps, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography, and remote-sensing imagery, the failure mechanism of the 2016 Yanchao landslide is described in this study. The results revealed that steep anti-dip layered sandstones embedded with the mudstones play a critical role in large, rainfall-induced landslides. In the case of Yanchao landslide, the bedding joint between two formations was associated with the runoff infiltrating the low permeability mudstone. The kinematic process of the landslide consisted of two phases: a circular failure in the lower formation (alternation of mudstone and sandstone) and the subsequent regressive failure in upper formation (thick sandstone interbedded with mudstone). This study discloses the role of steep anti-dip layered sandstone influencing mudstone slope failure behaviors and presents a preliminary guide for assessing large, rainfall-induced landslides in mudstones. The results could also provide useful information for calibrating the numerical modeling of large landslides that may occur in the mudstone area in the future.

The stability of unsaturated soil slopes is comprehensively discussed with the rainfall characteristics. However, pre-existing groundwater table is also common in many tropical mountainous regions. Additionally, perched water table could be generated due to antecedent rainfall conditions on the soil-bedrock interface. The complex hydrological response process of slopes subjected to the integrated effect of groundwater and rainfall infiltration has not yet been entirely realized. Therefore, the current studyaimed at investigating the influence of initial groundwater table on initiation of landslides in slopes exposed to rainfall infiltration. The centrifuge modelling technique is utilized in this study. A centrifuge container was newly designed to reproduce the rainfall and groundwater table effects. Identical soil slopes made from silty sand were tested under 50g conditions. The unsaturated slopes behaviour was evaluated under two cases during the analysis: 01) rainfall only and 02) rainfall on a pre-existing groundwater table. The results demonstrated that the failure happened in case (02) was quicker, larger in volume and faster to respond to rainfall infiltration. The factor of safety calculated using the infinite slope equations portrayed a slight mismatch of failure timing compared to the experimental results. These results suggested i) a higher risk ofslope failure under pre-existing groundwater flow and ii) acceleration of the progression of landside due to a potential surcharge flow.

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of large model under seismic loading is a time-consuming process due to the huge number of degrees and the duration of time. With respect to the uniform time stepping method, an automatic time stepping strategy is proposed based on a finite element–finite difference coupled scheme and an effective mixed error estimation of the solid–fluid mixture. Two seismic liquefaction examples are conducted, one is a three-dimensional embankment located in liquefied area, and the other is a three-dimensional caisson wharf subjected to the seismic load. The results show that the liquefaction induces large displacement to the embankment and caisson wharf; the proposed automatic time stepping method can save 17–24 % computational time than the uniform time stepping method at the premises of similar accuracy.

Antecedent rainfall is a prime factor for rainfall-induced landslides on unsaturated slopes. The effects of the intermittent behavior of antecedent rainfall on landslide initiation are uncertain. The work described here had the objective of showing the influence of antecedent intermittent rainfall patterns to predict landslide initiation. Soil slope models prepared from silty sand were tested in centrifuge model testing. At first, soil slopes experienced different antecedent rainfall patterns, namely, uniform gap, decreasing gap, and increasing gap, before they were exposed to continuous rainfall until the failure was initiated. The seepage and deformation behaviors of instrumented slopes were evaluated and back-analyzed with soil–water–air coupled hydromechanical finite element analysis using calibrated material parameters and suitable boundary conditions. The evolution of porewater pressure, displacements, and deviatoric strains was found to provide comparable responses. The analysis of incremental velocity clearly showed that times for landslide initiation follow the order of decreasing gap, uniform gap, and increasing gap antecedent rainfall patterns. The study identified that not only cumulative rainfall, but also antecedent intermittent rainfall patterns have a significant effect as a triggering agent and suggested incorporating it as a parameter for landslide early warning mechanisms.

Computer Methods and Recent Advances in Geomechanics covers computer methods, material modeling and testing, applications to a wide range of geomechanical issues, and recent advances in various areas that may not necessarily involve computer methods, and will be of interest to researchers and engineers involved in geotechnical mechanics and geo-engineering.

G. Biscontin