How to Reduce Landslides by Preventive Actions

Abstract

This paper will treat how to avoid emergence situations of landslides. This issue started 12 years ago in Brazil and is not yet finished, but after some years of insisting in preventive actions it became possible to change the hopeless traditional reconstruction work of ruptured slopes. The breaking of a vicious circle where money never was affordable but waste to cover accidents! A strategy of methodical inspection and documentation of slopes was introduced at some toll road companies, finally reaching about 2000 km motorway in the federal state of São Paulo. Draining and covering slope surface by plants showed soon up as very important issues, frequently treated with ignorance. The final success came when we introduced simple and practical recuperating projects, fast and efficient, instead of the time consume designs delayed by slow bureaucracy and inflexible standards. Successful solutions can be surprisingly simples and cheap.