Slope instability of engineered earthworks induced by rainfall can cause considerable damage to infrastructure, economic cost and loss of life. A small-scale physical model test was conducted using the 50gT beam centrifuge at the University of Sheffield in order to investigate the triggering and post-failure mechanisms of slope failure due to rainfall and flood events. The slope model was prepared from a sand-kaolin soil fill, compacted at optimum water content. Close range photogrammetric techniques were used to monitor slope movements and the volumetric changes of the ground during the cycles of wetting and drying as well as the changes in pore water pressure. This paper outlines the post-failure deformation of the slope and shows that movement thereafter can occur spontaneously during heavy rain, suggesting that the slope is in a metastable condition.
5th European Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ECPMG2024)
Geotechnical infrastructure