Effect of climate change on rainfall-induced slope failures in silty clay and gravelly sand soils | |
| Author | Deshanee, Dodangoda Liyanage Uttara |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GE-19-06 |
| Subject(s) | Climatic changes Slopes (Physical geography) Clay soils Soil mechanics |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Geotechnical and Earth Resources Engineering |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Slopes in tropical regions are highly likely to be subjected to rainfall-induced failures, among other factors. As a direct result of climate change, rainfall intensities become high and unpredictable. This research demonstrates how an intensive rainfall period affects the stability of a slope comprised of silty clay soil. Several numerical simulations, using SEEP/W and limit equilibrium analyses using SLOPE/W, were conducted to evaluate the effect of heavy rainfall on the slope. The climate data used for these analyses were bias-corrected using the linear bias correction method. It showed that during the intensive rainfall period, the porewater pressures within the slope increased, and slope stability gradually reduced. The analysis showed that precipitation rates increase in the future, and therefore the stability of the slope is greatly affected. Comparison of results obtained from analyses done for the silty clay slope and a gravelly sand slope showed that the gravelly sand slope has a possibility of failing suddenly. In contrast, silty clay slope showed a gradual reduction in stability. Infiltration of rainwater into the silty clay slope saturated the soil. It caused a reduction in stability, while the porewater pressures within the gravelly sand soil showed a sudden reduction in matric suction but no saturation. |
| Year | 2020 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Geotechnical Engineering (GE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Chao, Kuo-Chieh; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Pham Huy Giao;Shrestha, Sangam; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2020 |