from JICA Advisor Team

Build Back Better Palu

from
NALODO, Liquefied Ground Flow

NALODO by local tribe Kaili language, “buried in mud”

7 Jan.2019
Dr. Kenji ISHIHARA
JICA Advisor Team

Schematic picture of the

liquefaction-induced land flow

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 Conceivable Scenario of Land flow

1. Existence of loose silty-sand deposits near the

surface to depths of 2-10m.
2. Presence of underlying gravelly deposits which are
highly permeable.
3. The gravelly layer had been under aquifer
conditions with the water pressure being about
2-3mhigher than the static hydraulic water
pressure.
4. Due to the excitation by the earthquake shaking,
liquefaction did develop in the near-surface sand
deposits

Conceivable Scenario of Land flow-2

5. The areas ruined by the flow slide are located n

an alluvial plain surrounded by hills or mountains.
It is likely that a large amount of water had been
supplied over the years from the surrounding hilly
terrains with higher altitude. The water supply
seems to have been made under the ground in
the form of seepage thorough the continuously
existing grave layer.
6. The area affected by the flow slide in slightly
inclined with an slope angle, 1/100 to 3/100.
Thus, the gravel layer covered by the crust of
sandy soils had been under aquifer conditions
with the water pressure about 2-3 m higher than
the static hydraulic water pressure.
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 Conceivable Scenario of Land flow-3

7. Due to the excitation by the earthquake shaking,

liquefaction did develop in the sand deposit near
the surface.
8. Consequence of the liquefaction was aggrabated
by the presence of the water under aquifer
condition. Liquefied sand was readily turned into
the flow slide with an abundance of water.
9. Liquefied sand started to move downhill, thereby
carring the surface crust of soils together with
many houses and man-made facilities.
10.Depth of the floe lide is estimated as being 3-5m.

Features of the ground flow

1. In the area of Baraloa, Petobo and Jone Oge, as

well, the ground flow appears to start from the
headwall portion, pushing the soil mass down hill
successively. The speed of soil flow is estimated
as 1.0-3.0m
2. It is noted that those buildings with robust
foundations withstood the moving ground and
remained intact.

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 Needs for geotechnical investigation

1. The geotechnical investigation have been

conducted in-situ to identify near-surface soil
profiles as well as soil properties.
The major tools used for this in-situ studies were
the standard penetration test (SPT), Swedish
cone penetration test (SWCT), and Dynamic
Hitting test (DT).
The results fo these tests were converted to the
flow count number, N-value, of The SPT.

Needs for geotechnical investigation -2

2. The SPY is the most commonly used tool for the

in-situ soil investigations. It has advantages in that
(1) it can penetrate as deep as 50m,
(2) it permits soil samples to the recovered for the
use of physical test such as grain size analysis
and plasticity determination, and
(3) it allows the penetration resistance to the
monitored and each depth which is representative
of stiffness of in ‒situ deposits.

However the SPT requires time and cost for

operation.

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 Needs for geotechnical investigation -3

• The SWCT consists of two phase of penetration,

that is
(1) Static penetration by weight and
(2) rational penetration.
The maximum depth of peretration is imited to
about 10m, and the soil sample is difficult to be
recovered.
The Dynamic hitting test (DT) has the limitation in
depth of peretration down to, say, 10m.

3. It is recommended that any kind of penetration

tests be performed along the key cross sections.
There data will help delineate 3D picture of
underground space over the plain of Palu.
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Arrangements of data filer of GI

1. It is important, abobe all, to establish pictures of

soil profiles along key alignments through the
sliding areas.

2. Then, it will become possible to tangibly visualize

the sequence of events from occurrence of
liquefaction throug the land flow to further
progress of the damage.

3. This kind of data arrangements is critically

needed to capture the essence of the ground
damage.

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 Schematic picture of the
liquefaction-induced land flow

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Key features to be paid special attention

1. The entire land flow appears to be divided into

three parts, vi3. genetic portion, Pushed downhill
part, and pushed-over debris piles.
2. The GI should be made to clarify genetic causes
for triggering the slide.

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 Conceivable schematic cross section
of the land flow, (Balaroa, Petobo, Jono Oge)

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Underwater land flow

1. To delineate features of the landslides under the

sea, it is necessary to have soil profiles established
through main cross sections. For this purpose, an
easiest and simplest way would be to provide
contour-lined maps of undersea deposits. If pains
of the contoured-lined maps, one prior to and the
other often the earthquake are made available, it
should be an easy task to depict tow cross
sections, one before and the other after the
quake.
By comparing tow pictures of the cross sections
thus obtained, it would be straight forward task
to obtain the location of sliding plane and also the
amount of moving soil mass involved in the
underwater land slides.
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 Underwater land flow-2

2. The counter-lined maps prior to the quake is

already available. Then, what is needed in the map
after the earthquake. It is highly recommended
that the counter-lined maps are obtained by
means of the bathymetric survey.

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