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Analysis of the mechanisms of slope failures triggered by the 2007 Chuetsu Oki earthquake

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Abstract

The 2007 Chuetsu Oki earthquake (MJMA = 6.6) triggered more than one hundred slope failures in the northwest part of Niigata prefecture, Japan. A reconnaissance survey conducted by the authors revealed that although most of the failures were only a few meters deep, they still caused significant damage to roads, railways, and houses. It was also found that a vast number of shallow slides were concentrated along the coastal line of the Japan Sea, while only few, but relatively larger failures occurred in a mountainous part of the study area, which is located in a considerable distance from the earthquake’s epicenter. This paper summarizes the reconnaissance observations, describes the geologic characteristics of the area covered by landslides, provides characterization of major types of the landslides, and examines the causes and mechanisms of typical failures. In addition, this paper seeks to investigate the mechanism of the Ohzumi landslide, the largest slide triggered by the Chuetsu Oki earthquake. For this purpose, a comprehensive analysis that included field investigation and laboratory testing of soils samples was performed. Results of field investigation suggested that the failure plane of the Ohzumi landslide formed in a saturated layer of sandy soil near a boundary with bedrock. Data from undrained cyclic loading triaxial compression tests indicated that the sandy material was highly susceptible to generation of high excess pore-water pressures during earthquake loading. On the basis of the obtained results and the outcome of seismic response and slope stability analyses, the authors posited an explanation on the mechanism of the Ohzumi landslide.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mr. Akira Ezoe, a researcher from the University of Tokyo, for his significant help throughout this investigation. Special acknowledgement should be given to Professor Keizo Ugai and Assistant Professor Dr. Cai Fei from Gunma University for their kind permission to use computer code GUSLOPE for this research. SPT data were kindly provided by the local authorities. The financial support was provided by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD, 4222, Australia

    Ivan B. Gratchev

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Ikuo Towhata

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  1. Ivan B. Gratchev
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  2. Ikuo Towhata
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Correspondence to Ivan B. Gratchev.

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Gratchev, I.B., Towhata, I. Analysis of the mechanisms of slope failures triggered by the 2007 Chuetsu Oki earthquake. Geotech Geol Eng 29, 695–708 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-011-9411-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-011-9411-3

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