LANDSLIDES

By,
USMAN ILYAS
Assistant Professor
Civil Engineering Department
University of Management & Technology, Lahore
 LANDSLIDES
Land slide refers to the downward sliding of huge
quantities of land masses. Generally, such slides
occurs along steeper slopes of hills or mountains. It
must be sudden or slow in the occurrence. Also, in
magnitude, it may be major or minor. Often, loose and
unconsolidated material undergoes sliding. But
sometimes, huge blocks of consolidated rocks may
also be involved.
 LANDSLIDES
Landslides are generally, of no concern and can just be
ignored if they occur in places of no human interest.
But if they occur in places of importance such as
highways, railway lines, valleys, reservoirs, inhabited
areas and agricultural lands, obviously, such instances
lead to blocking of traffic, collapse of buildings, harm
to fertile lands and so apart from heavy loss of life and
property.
LANDSLIDES
 COMMON TYPES OF LANDSLIDES

a) Rotational slides move along a b) Translational slides occurs when 5the

surface of rupture that is curved and failure surface is approximately flat or
concave. slightly undulated
c) Rock Fall: d) Rock toppling occurs when one
Free falling of detached bodies of or more rock units rotate about their
bedrock (boulders) from a cliff or steep base and Collapse. 6
slope
e) Lateral spreading occurs when the f) Debris Flow:
soil mass spreads laterally and this Down slope movement of collapsed,7
spreading comes with tensional cracks in unconsolidated material typically along
the soil mass. a stream channel.
 Causes of Landslides
Natural Factors:
• Gravity – works more effectively on steeper slopes
• Geological factors – weak, sensitive or weathered
materials
• Heavy and prolonged rainfall – rapid rise in water
level
• Earthquakes – plate tectonic moves the soil that
covers it also moves
• Forest fire – causes erosion and induce floods and
landslides
• Volcanoes – kill vegetation over extensive area and
spreads volcanic rocks, subsequent
• Rainy season will trigger landslides
LANDSLIDES
 Causes of Landslides
Anthropogenic Factors:
• Inappropriate drainage system – natural drainage
lines on slopes are blocked
• Cutting and deep excavations on slopes for
buildings, roads, canals and mining – modification
of natural slopes and blocking of surface drainage
• Change in slope/ land use pattern, deforestation,
settlements, agricultural practices on steep slope.
 Causes of Landslides
Human Factors:
• Deforestation, Cultivation and Construction when
destabilize the already destroyed slopes.
• Vibrations from machinery or traffic, blasting,
Construction.
 Effects OF Landslides
From the Civil Engineering Point of view, if landslide
occurs at vulnerable places, they may cause:
1. Disruption of transported or blocking of
communications by damaging roads and railways
and telegraph poles;
2. Obstruction to the river flow in valleys, leading to
their overflow and floods;
3. Damage to sewer and other pipelines
4. Destruction of buildings and other construction
 Effects OF Landslides
Landslides destroys everything and anything that
comes in their path.
• Roads
• Rail lines
• Lines of communication
• Settlements
• River flows/ Damming
• Agricultural production
• Land area
• Flooding
Fatalities depends on the place and time of occurrence.
Estimated casualties per year, world-wide: 600 - 1000 persons
 Effects OF Landslides
Effects of Water:
This is the most important factor which is mainly
responsible for landslide occurrence. This is so
because it adversely affects the stability of the loose
ground in different ways.
The presence of water greatly reduces the cohesion of
the particles of loose ground. This weakens the ground
inherently and therefore, makes it prone to landslide
occurrences.
LANDSLIDES
 LANDSLIDES
Effects of Lithology:

The nature of rock types also influences landslide. For

example;
Rocks which are highly fractured, porous and
permeable are prone to landslide occurrence because
they give scope for the water to play an effective role.

Thinner Strata are more susceptible to sliding than

thicker strata.
LANDSLIDES
LANDSLIDES
 LANDSLIDES
Preventive Measures for Landslides:

To Prevent the occurrence of landslides, it would be

logical to take such steps which would counter the
effects of those responsible for landslide occurrence.
The main factors which contribute to landslide
occurrence are slope, water content, structural
defects, unconsolidated or loose depth of overburden.
LANDSLIDES
 LANDSLIDES
To Counter the effect of slope:

Retaining walls may be constructed against the slopes,

so that the material which rolls down is not only
prevented from further fall but also reduces the slope

To Counter the effects of water:

A proper drainage system is the suitable measure. This

involves the quick removal of percolated moisture by
means of surface drainage and subsurface drainage.
 LANDSLIDES
To Counter the Structural Defects:

The different structural defects such as weak planes

and zones may be either covered or grouted suitably
so that they are effectively sealed off. These measures
not only prevent the avenues for percolation of water
but also increase the compaction or cohesion of the
material concerned.
ATTABAD DISASTER
THANKS