Abstract
Landslides are the major natural hazards in many countries all over the world and are usually caused by heavy rainfall, water level change of reservoir, excavation, earthquake, etc. Whether the landslide occurs or not in rainfall season, the strength variation of slip-zone soils of landslide is regarded as the vital control factor. Thus, strength behavior for slip-zone soils of landslide subject to the change of water content is required to be evaluated in a potential landslide area. In this paper, the shear strength of typical slip-zone soil, six groups of 25 specimens of remolded clay samples from Daxishan reservoir landslide, was systemically investigated using the improved direct shear test apparatus in order to fully understand its physical and mechanical properties, and also the shear and failure behavior. Furthermore, the fitting equations for expressing the relationship between the shear strength (effective cohesion and internal friction angle) and vertical loadings, initial water contents of slip-zone clay were established based on the experimental results. In particular, a series of shear stress–shear strain curves under various vertical loadings and different water contents were observed. The results show that a “softening” stress–strain behavior is achieved for unsaturated slip-zone soil, while a “hardening” curve is found for saturated slip-zone soil.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Li W, Wu A, Ding X (2006) Study on influencing factors of shear strength parameters of slide zone clay in three Gorges Reservoir area. Rock Soil Mech 27(1):56–60
Li X, Liang S, Zheng G (2010) Progresses in sliding zone soil of landslides. Adv Earth Sci 25(5):484–490
Ni J, Gao M, Wei C et al (2009) Effects of soil water content on soil shearing strength to different soil layer of shallow landslide. J Soil Water Conserv 23(6):48–50
Sassa K, Fukuoka H, Wang FW et al (2005) Landslides risk analysis and sustainable disaster management. In: Proceedings of the first general assembly of the international consortium on landslides. Springer, Berlin
Suzuki M, Tsuzuki S, Yamamoto T (2007) Residual strength characteristics of naturally and artificially cemented clays in reversal direct box shear test. Soils Found 47(6):1029–1044
The Ministry of Water Resources of China (1999) Standard for soils test method (GBT-50123-1999). China Planning Press, Beijing
Wang FW, Li TL (2009) Landslides disaster mitigation in three Gorges Reservoir, China. Springer, Berlin
Wen BP, Aydin A (2004) Deformation history of a landslide slip-zone in light of soil microstructure. Environ Eng Geosci 10(2):123–149
Xiang W, Cui D, Liu L (2007) Experimental study on sliding soil of ionic soil stabilizer-reinforces. Earth Sci 32(3):397–402
Yalcin A (2007) The effects of clay on landslides: a case study. Appl Clay Sci 38(1–2):77–85
Yalcin A (2011) A geotechnical study on the landslides in the Trabzon province, NE, Turkey. Appl Clay Sci 42:11–19
Zhou Y, Wei Z, Zhu B et al (2010) Study on the effect about interlayer thickness and water content to the strength parameters of landslide soil. Chin J Geol Hazard Control 21(2):25–29
Acknowledgments
This work was funded by National Natural Science Fund of China (No. 51179022), Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology (No. SKLGP2010K005) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. DUT12LK19).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nian, TK., Feng, ZK., Yu, PC. et al. Strength behavior of slip-zone soils of landslide subject to the change of water content. Nat Hazards 68, 711–721 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0647-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0647-5