Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Summary
The landscape environment is presently formed by the system in which there are natural, as well as anthropogeneous components. There is natural
direct and inverse relation between them. The possibility and method of construction of a technical work depends on specific natural conditions.
Of decisive influence are mainly the rock relief, groundwater and geodynamic processes, which Matula (1976) terms the main components of
the engineering geological environment.
The natural conditions of the West Carpathians are suitable for the occurrence and development of slope movements. More than 3 % of the total
Slovakian area is covered by landslides and by other slope movements of a varied degree of activity.
Based on actual examples of an incorrect procedure in erecting some of the ground, hydrotechnical and transport constructions the paper analyzes
the causes of landslide reactivation and devastation of the environment. To avoid negative changes in the geological environment engineering
geological documents are prepared for more important investment units, comprising predictions of changes induced by construction.
Rdsume
Le paysage est la resultante de composants naturels, ainsi que d'influences anthropiques. II y a un rapport mutuel direct et inverse entre ces
facteurs. La possibilitc de construire un ouvrage et les methodes employees dependent des conditions naturelles specifiques. Les facteurs
principaux sont la morphologie du site, I'eau souterraine et les phdnomenes geodynamiques, que Matula M. (1976) appelle les composants
principaux de I'environnement de la geologie de I'ingdnieur.
Les conditions naturelles des Carpates Occidentales se prfitent /t l'apparition et au ddveloppement de mouvements de versants. Plus de 3 % de
la superficie rotate de la Slovaquie sont concernds par des glissements et autres mouvements de ~ersants d'une intensit6 variable.
A partir d'exemples concrets de mauvaises r6alisations de travaux souterrains, de barrages et d'infrastructures de transport, I'article analyse les
causes de la reactivation des glissements et de la d6gradation de l'environnement.
Pour eviter ces influences negatives sur I'environnement g~ologique, on prepare des documents gdologiques et geotechniques pour des travaux
plus importants et qui incluent la prevision des changements provoques par les constructions.
1970-1979 (Nemeok et al., 1979), in connection with the in predominantly clayey Neogene sediments with a
results of the Registration of Landslides in Czechoslo- predominant montmorillonite component are only 5-9 ~
vakia from 1962-63 (Matula et al., 1963) it was found (Mahr & Malgot, 1977). They are slopes which are
that the slopes impaired by slope deformations cover in currently used for agricultural purpose. The population
Slovakia an area of 1 474 km z. This represents 3 % of of Slovakia tried for a long time to fertilize the surfaces
the total territory of Slovakia. Their distribution, of slope deformations. Since the most important factor,
however, is not uniform in individual areas. Thus, for which had an influence on the activation of landslides,
example, in the region of the Carpathian flysch, land- was water action, the farmers tried to drain the landsli-
slides and other slope deformations form 8.1% of the des by simple means. The surfaces of quiescent landsli-
surface. In certain basins there is a still greater distur- des, which were activated from time to time were used
bance of the stability of slopes (above 10%), and it as meadows, pastures and orchards. They tried to use
should be borne in mind that economic activity and stabilized landslides as arable land.
construction is concentrated in the basins of Slovakia.
That is why interaction frequently occurs between the
engineering structures and landslides.
expense, however the correction interventions require one of them, part of the landslide reactivated and
careful maintenance and the lands should be cultivated threatened the building under construction (Fig. 3).
by a correct method. The surfaces of quiescent and There were already buildings constructed before below
stabilized landslides serve as a source for obligatory it on the sliding slope, and so there was fear of
recultivation when taking agricultural soil necessary for activating the entire sliding area, endangering those
construction. parts of the hospital which were already in operation.
In many parts of Slovakia the devastation of agricultu- Landslides took place on the Pliocene tuffitic clays,
ral soil took place by reactivation of landslides due to psammitic and psephitic tufts of the Zvolenskb. basin
neglecting the old surface and underground drainage. fill. The material of the landslide can be characterized
These examples are not only a warning for a correct as highly plastic clayey loams with the index of
maintenance of drainage, but also an illustration of the p l a s t i c i t y lp = 24 - 43 %. The determined value of the
possibility of returning the soil disturbed by a landslide residual angle of internal friction was ~Or = 13 o. Only
to agriculture by simple methods. a small part of landslides were activated with dimen-
In recent decades there has been in Slovakia a favoura- sions about 100 by 50 m and depth 8 m. The activated
ble development in landscape afforestation. Presently part moved with a velocity of 6 - 12 c m / d a y -~ (Mahr,
40.1% of the territory of Slovakia is covered with Kuch~r, 1979).
forests with relatively a favourable composition and Correcton measures had to be carried out quickly using
age of trees. A more favourable situation in this sense machines and material which were easily accessible.
in Europe is possessed solely by three northern coun-
tries. About 80 % form productive forests, meanwhile In the place of excavation a ballast embankment was
20 % of forests are protected. However recently forests built, supported by an "abutment wall" built with
have been strongly damaged mainly by emissions of 182 pieces of concrete precasts (Fig. 3). The open
power stations. The acid rains are damaging part of the cracks on the landslide surface were sealed by clayey
forest of Slovakia, but to a much lesser degree than in soil and covered by polyethylene foil, to prevent rain
the western part of Czechoslovakia. water entering the landslide body. Above the area of
the stabilized landslide a peripheral trench was built to
Beside forest fires, strong winds upsetting trees, drain the waters flowing from the higher parts of the
droughts, ice accretions, insects and avalanches, even landslide. After achieving these temporary measures,
the landslides belong to the serious factors of damaging the movement of the landslide began to slow down and
the forest. In Figure 2 there is part of an extensive after "9 days practically stopped. The definitive correc-
landslide, which activated in 1983 near the village of tion" was suggested after an engineering geological
Zfizriv~ and caused complete devastation of the forest. investigation of the landslide and after the recalcula-
tion of the slope stability. As definitive correction
measures, gravelly drainage walls were constructed in
combination with horizontal drainage boreholes.
Even unsuitably chosen waste disposal sites may cause
reactivation of slope deformations. In Figure 4 there is
a dump of excavated material from the urban unit in
the town of Ziar nad Hronom, unsuitably placed on the
scar of a quiescent landslide. The landslide reactivated
and endangered the gas line passing through the
middle of the slope into the aluminium production
plant.
The greatest number of problems related to the activa-
tion of landslides occur in building line structures,
mainly roads. Most frequently the landslides are
undercut (release of the accumulation part) or the
upper scar loaded.
Fig. 2 : Forest devastation in the landslide part near Zfizrivfi. In solving the road rerouting around the Domaga dam
reservoir an alignment was suggested which runs along
7-10 m of embankments above the scars of old quies-
Influence of construction on the activation of land- cent and stabilized landslides. The bedrock here is
slides marly shales and sandstones of the Central Carpathian
flysch (Paleogene). Shortly after opening the road,
Frequently the stability of slopes is affected during some of the landslides reactivated and caused damage
construction and the activated landslide can threaten to the road. In Figure 5 we can see the road deforma-
the object under construction or other earlier construc- tion near HoKzikovce. There occurred subsidences
ted ones. about 6 m deep of a half of the road. The road was
In founding ground structures it may happen that by corrected by a pile wall and deep drainage by trenches.
excavation an unstable slope is undercut. In the town A serious disturbance of the slope stability occurred in
of Zvolen there is under construction a hospital consis- building the road near the town of Doln) Kubin in
ting of 14 pavilions. In excavation works for connecting 1980. The area crossed by the road is of claystones and
84
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Fig. 4 : A c t i v a t i o n of a quiescent l a n d s l i d e by loading the scar part Fig. 5 : D i s t u r b a n c e of the road by l a n d s l i d e near Hol~ikovce.
with a d u m p of excavated m a t e r i a l from the s e t t l e m e n t in
Ziar nad H r o n o m .
85
stanstones of the Central Carpathian flysch I Paleo- Problems of stability of slopes occurred in the construc-
gene). The dip of layers is 20-25 ~ to the north-west. tion of almost all dams in Slovakia. Mainly on the
After excavation to a depth of 6-8 m there appeared banks of reservoirs constructed in flysch areas the
signs of movement on the slope. Part of the old landslides become active m great number. On one of
stabilized landslide reactivated. Not only was the the activated landslides near the reservoir of the Orava
dam stands a hotel, so the landslide had to be correc-
realigned constructed road endangered, but also the
railway track and road, which ran closely beneath the ted. Similarly endangered was the recreation centre na
deformed slope (Fig. 6). Polanfich near the bank of the Velk~ Domaga dam. The
activated landslide was correctec[ by a pile wall.
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The water, seeping gradually through the disintegrating The stabilized landslides reactivate by natural factors.
brittle rocks (limestones and dolomites) of the Cho6 Their forms are concealed by deluvial processes and by
nappe, concentrates on the displacement plane and agricultural activity. The detection of these landslides
over the impermeable plastic rocks, flows down on the in the engineering geological investigation is difficult.
shear plane. In the lower part of the slopes it emerges This is why in most cases of activation caused by
in the form of powerful springs, from which several are building they were just stabilized landslides.
collected to supply the town with water. In order to avoid devastation of the environment and
Landslides developed in the foreground of the block extensive material damages, special analytical enginee-
deformations, which in certain places had already ring geological maps of slope deformations are prepa-
damaged structures on the southern slope of the red for the construction of greater units. These maps
Cebrad, as well as the railway track passing at the slope are prepared by engineering geologists specialized in
foot. mapping slope deformations.
Both variants of the solution affect the slope deforma- Engineering geological documents containing maps of
tions on the southern slope of 12ebrad. They almost slope deformations make possible the use of unstable
exclude the possibility of realizing the variant passing areas for urban development. It is important mainly
by the bank so much the more that from the stand point because the law on the protection of agricultural soil
of damping the noise the alignment was suggested in a does not allow areas to be taken for construction,
deep cut. The correction of the slope would be expen- which, as a matter of fact, though more suitable for the
sive and uncertain. They affected also the choice of the foundation of buildings, are inevitably necessary to
tunnel alignment alternative. From the stand point of ensure the sustenance of the population.
ensuring stability of the northern tunnel face, the most
northern alternative was chosen, which ends in the
rocks of the Kri~na nappe. In this alternative it is also
References
most probable that the tunnel will avoid the boundary,
and thus also the danger of excessive water inflows to INGR M.. BOHYNIK J. (19781 : Prfidovy zosuv v l~ubietovej. Geol
the tunnel. Pr~zkurn. Praha. 76-78.
With regard to the present problems, which occurred MAHR T.. J,&NOVA V. (t984) : Vplyv svahov~'ch poruch na vedenie
with the activation of landslides on the banks of trasy dialnice DI medzi Hrboltovou a lvachnovou. Zbornik k
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reservoirs built in the flysch zone. landslides in the
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surroundings of the future reservoir of Novfi Bystrica
vo Zvolene. Acta Poh,technical. Praha. Vol. 2. 73-83.
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MAHR T.. MALGOT J (t977) : Influence of soil physico-mechanical
Figure 8 there is a simplified representation from the properties on the landslides development. Proc. of the 5 th.
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this purpose. Bratislava. Vol. 1II. 211-224.
It is necessary to prepare zoning maps for a total MAHR T.. MALGOT J. (1978) : Zoning maps for regional and urban
development based on slope stability. Proc. the III. Int.
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sliding areas (Mahr & Malgot, 1978).
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Conclusion
MALGOT J. (1980) : Vplyv antropog6nnych faktorov va stabilitu
zosuvn,.~'ch svahov na Slovensku. Geol Pr~zkum. Praha,
In the basins and flysch areas of Slovakia there is an 139-143.
extensive part of the territory affected by sliding. MALGOT J., M A H R T. (1979) : Engineering geological mapping of
Frequently activation of landslides occur during the West Carpathian landslide areas. Bull 1.A.E.G. No. 19.
construction, because the major part of settlement is 116-121.
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zoning. Mere. Soc. Geol. Italia. Bari, 327-336.
The quiet landslides activate under the action of more
MATULA M. et aL (t963) : Sesuvn/t fizemi ~SSR. Souhrnfi z~v~re6ni
significant natural factors, and have morphological spr/tva. Manuscript, Geofond Praha.
forms sufficiently clear to be identifiable in the engi- MEM(~OK A. (1982) : Zosuvy v slovensk2)ch Karpatoch. Vyd S.A.V.
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cal investigation or to ignorance in building produc- pohyby v karpatskom fly~i n a Slovensku. Manuscript, Geo-
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