Cause of Slide ,Technique of protecting land slide

including
Bio-engineering Works

Naba Raj Sharma

SDE, GoN
Erosion / Slope Failure / Slope Instablities
Erosion:
is the removal of particles from the surface by flowing
water.

 Splash (or rainsplash) erosion: the spattering of

small soil particles by the impact of rain drops on
the soil surface which may or may not be
subsequently removed by surface runoff.

 Sheet Erosion: the removal of a fairly uniform

layer of soil from the land surface by runoff water.
 Erosion (contd)
 Rill erosion: erosion
whereby numerous small
channels of the order of
tens of millimeters in
depth are formed.

 Gully erosion: the process

whereby water
accumulates in narrow
channels and over short
periods, removes the soil
from this narrow area,
often to considerable
depth.
Erosion in
unconsolidated
outwash
deposits in the
Bhabar zone.

Mahendra Rajmarg, Bhalubang-Kohalpur Sector

Mid Western Region, 1993
Erosion triggered by reckless
side casting of material during
road construction.

Kathmandu-Trishuli Road (i.e, lower

section)
Central Region, 1996
Slope Failure (Mass Movement)

The movement downslope of rock fragments

and soil under the influence of gravity.
Classification of Mass Movement
(after Varnes, 1978)
Type of Material
Type of Movement Bed Rock Engineering Soil
Predominantly Predominantly
coarse fine
Falls Rock Fall Debris fall Earth fall
Topples Rock topples Debris topples Earth topples

Slides Rotal Rock slump Debris slump Earth slump

Transll Rock block slide Debris block slide Earth block

Rock slide Debris slide slide
Earth slide
Lateral Rock spread Debris spread Earth spread
Spread
Flows Rock flow Debris flow Earth flow
Complex Combination of two or more principal types of
movement
Rock Falls
Toppling Failures on Rock Slopes
Slides
 Translational – straight slip surface
 Rotational – curved slip surface
 Translational Slides

Km 62, Charali-Ilam Road Km 12, Baglung-Beni, 2006

Eastern Region, 1995
Rotational Slide (Curved Failure Surface)
Rotational Slide (Deep Seated Failure)

Km 16, Baglung-Beni, 2006

Mulghat, by the Tamor crossing on the Dharan-Dhankuta
Road,
Eastern Region, 1989
Debris Flow
Debris flow
as a result of
the
liquefaction
of landslide
debris
several
kilometers
upstream
from a road.

Leoti Valley, Dharan-Dhankuta Road

Eastern Region, 1989
Debris flow of
large granite
boulders
following an
extreme
rainfall event
in July 1993.

Palung Bridge, Tribhuvan Rajpath

Central Region, 1994
Factors Influencing Slope Stability
 Lithology: Soil and rock types
 Slope Inclination
 Degree of Fracturization in rock mass
 Weathering
 Ground Water
 Surface Water
 Earthquake
 Human Factors
 What is Bio-engineering?
• Bio-engineering is “the use of living plants for engineering purposes”

• Bio-engineering offers the engineer a new set of tools but does not
normally replace the use of civil engineering structures;
It is used:
–To protect almost all slopes against
erosion
–To reduce the instances of shallow
planner sliding
–To improve surface drainage and
reduce slumping
 Why Bio-engineering?
• About 70% of the total strategic road networks of
Nepal passes through mountainous/hilly regions;
• The steep, long, weak mountainous/hilly slopes of
Nepal possess a great challenge to engineers to
construct and maintain roads in Nepal,
 Why Bio-engineering?
• Majority of the failures in this mountainous region are
slumping, slides, debris flow and erosions;
• Out of the total slides in Nepal, it is revealed that
around 80% of the slides are of shallow translational
slides with failures depths limited to a couple of
meters depth;
 Why Bio-engineering?
• Rapid extension of road networks disturbing
marginally stable slopes;
• Nepal being a poor country, can not afford to go for a
high cost solutions for these slope instability
problems;
• Bio-engineering is a low cost technique which does
not demand high skilled man power, equipment and
cost,
 Why Bio-engineering?
• it can be implemented with available local resources and hence a
sustainable technique for developing countries;
• Bio-engineering structures works in the same way as civil engg
structures.
Engineering Functions of Bio-engineering :
• Catch
• Support
• Armour
• Reinforce
• Anchor
• Drain
Mechanical Effects of Bio-engineering :
• Stems & trunks trap materials that
are moving down the slope (catch)
• Roots bind soil particles to the
ground surface & reduce their
susceptibility to erosion (armour)
• Roots penetrating through the soil
cause it to resist deformation
(reinforce)
Mechanical Effects of Bio-engineering :
• Woody roots pin down loose
particles to a firm strata
(anchor)
• Woody roots hold up the
slope above (support)
Hydrological Effects of Bio-engineering :

• Intercept
• Evaporate
• Store
• Infiltrate
• pool
• Water uptake
Integration with civil structures :
• Bio-engineering in combination with civil
structures has proved to be a very cost effective
solutions to a range of slope instability
problems;
• Integration to serve either complimentary
functions or same functions.
Integration with civil structures :
Engineering Civil Bio-engineering system
function engineering
system
Catch Catch wall, catch Shrubs, bamboo (many stems)
fence
Armour Revetment, surface Grass carpet (dense, fibrous
rendering roots)

Reinforce Reinforced earth, Densely-rooting grasses, shrubs

soil nailing and trees
Anchor Rock anchors Deeply-rooting trees (long,
strong roots)
Support Toe wall, prop wall Shrubs, large trees (deep, dense
root systems forming a soil
cylinder)
Drain Gabion drains Plantation in downslope and
diagonal pattern
Relative strength of structures with time :
Selection of Plant Species depends on :
• Method of propagation;
• Biological and social considerations;
• Establishment, vigour and persistence;
• Site suitability;
• Potential value to local farmers;
• Availability.
Suitability of species depending upon
climate, terrain etc.:
Suitability of species depending upon
climate, terrain etc. (contd.):
Suitability of species depending upon
climate, terrain etc. (contd.):
Maintenance of Bio-engg structures:
Maintenance of vegetation is required to:
 Maximize its engineering contribution;
 Maximize productivity, and
 Improve appearance.

Routine Maintenance:
• Protection of planting sites from grazing, theft of fire
wood, timber and fire;
• Weeding;
• mulching;
• Grass cutting.
Maintenance of Bio-engg structures:
Preventative Maintenance Activities:
• Thinning of shrubs & trees;
• Repair of vegetative structures;
• Vegetation enrichment;
• Removal of unwanted shrubs & trees.
General Principles:
Long term vegetation cover should be encouraged
to develop the following characteristics:

• Mixed structures;
• Mixed age;
• Mixed species;
• Low maintenance,
• Natural progression
Management of Grasses:
A part of routine maintenance:

• Small scale management needed once in a

year at small areas to improve visibility to road
users;
• Involves cutting of stems at 150 mm above the
ground;
• Material produced can be used for muching,
fodder, fibres, thatching etc.
Management of Shrubs:
Early Management ( a routine maintenance):

• Employ watchmen to prevent the site from grazing,

and cutting for firewoods and fodders or employ
Road neighbours;
• weeding;
• Mulching;
Management of Shrubs:
Later Management ( a preventative maintenance) which
aims to:

• Increase light penetration through the canopy to the

ground for other plants growth;
• Keep the vigorous mixture of plants of various sizes,
shapes and ages;
• Reduce the wt surcharge and wind resistance of
large trees.
Prunning:
• Cutting of lower branches.
Thinning (three options):
 Pollarding: a treatment in which the main
trunk of a tree is cut off, usually 2-3 m
from the ground, to allow new smaller
shoots to grow which is out of reach of
grazing animals.
 coppicing: the trunk of a tree is cut off
about 300 mm above the ground, to allow
new smaller shoots to grow from the stump
– not all plants tolerate this.
 Felling: the trunk of a tree is cut off about
150 mm above the ground and it is not
expected to shoot again.
Maintenance of Bio-engg structures (contd.):
Successful Use of Bio-engineering
This gully-cum-landslide complex is 300m
(vertical interval) from top to bottom. It
occurred as a result of the failure of a
cascade which used to drain three levels of
a hairpin stack off the picture to the right.

1994
* Drainage was diverted elsewhere,
* A concrete masonry toe wall & 7 gabion
* check dams-cum-retaining breast walls.
Between the walls treated with gabion
bolster cylinders and vegetated with
grasses and shrubs.
Khamlingtar Gully, Dharan-Dhankuta
Road, 1990
 cut slope failure in deeply weathered gneiss,1990.

1994

Dhankuta-Hile Road
Km 4
Baglung loop of Pokhara-Baglung Road
Km. 40+900 Prithvi Highway
 Km. 40+900 Prithvi Highway

After completion of civil

structure, 2004

After bio-engg, 2006

 Km. 42+000 Prithvi Highway

After completion of civil

structure & trimming, 2004

After bio-engg, 2009

Feb, 2003
August 2006
April 2007
East Slope : 2003
East Slope after civil & bio_engg : 2006
West Gully before Construction of Check Dams 2003
West Gully with Check Dams & Bio-engg.
Structures 2005
Before construction of downhill Cascade : 2004
After Const. of downhill Cascade below West
Culvert : 2005
Slope around east cascade 2004
After Slope Preparation 2005
2009
2004 2009
A rockslide smashed a bus and killed nine passengers
in Siddhartha highway
Cover Stories
गोरखापत्र श्रावण २६, २०६७, पहिलो पृष्ट

घर दैलोमा गाहि गुिाउने सपना देखेर गााँउ गााँउमा िोजर हित्र्याएका

सववसाधारण अहिले पुपुवरोमा िात राखेर हधकानव वाध्य िएका छन् ।
COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION!
CURRENT ISSUES

Water quality
degradation
Fish Passage

A Fish Barrier
THE
PROBLEM
Culvert Cleaning
Brushing or Clearing
Road Surface Drainage
Outlets/Inlets
Ditch Improvement or Armoring
 CULVERTS
Culvert Plugging
Culvert Capacity
Adding Trash Racks
ROAD-STREAM ENCROACHMENT
Córdoba, Argentina.
MOVE THE ROAD OR
PROTECT THE ROAD!
R. Nichols

J. McCullah
ROADWAY SURFACE ARMORING
SLOPE STABILIZATION MEASURES
Debris Slide Prevention/Protection
Medio ambiente y cambio
climático y su impacto en el
transporte vial. XVI
Congreso Argentino de
Vialidad y Tránsito. 22 de
Octubre
Córdoba, Argentina.
Biotechnical Slope Stabilization
Neha Vyas, WB

A. FAIZ, WB
Vegetative Stabilization Mechanisms

1. To catch eroded materials with physical

barriers (e.g. vegetated walls, plants,
trees);
2. To armor the slope from erosion
caused by runoff or rain splash using
vegetative cover, partial armoring using
lines of vegetation;
3. To reinforce soil physically with plant
roots;
4. To anchor surface material to deeper
layers using large vegetation with deep
roots;
5. To support soil by buttressing with
vegetated walls or large vegetation; and
6. To drain excess water from the slope
through evapotranspiration and the use
of drains.

Asif Faiz, WB
 Jhelum Valley Road (Pakistan) -
Landslide Treated with Brush Layering ,
Surface Drains and Check Dams -
Before Monsoon
 Jhelum Valley Road (Pakistan)–
Landslide Stabilized ( 6 months later)-
After Monsoon
Drainage
Rock Fall Problems
Fill Slopes
RETAINING WALLS
MSE/GRS WALLS
Gully Prevention and Stabilization
PREVENTATIVE
MAINTENANCE
CONTROL OF SURFACE WATER
CULVERT PROTECTION AGAINST
PLUGGING
AND OVERTOPPING
USE OF FORDS
MOVE OR PROTECT
THE ROAD!
SLOPE STABILIZATION
 EROSION CONTROL-
DRAINAGE & VEGETATION
 MATERIALS
•Surfacing Standards
•Soil and Aggregate Properties
•Aggregate Design
•Soil Stabilization
•Compaction
•Quality Control/Sampling and Testing
•Quarry Development and Reclamation
…………………………….
Dust and Palliatives

D. Elton
Quality
Control
DCP
You Get What You Inspect,
Not What You Expect
Compaction
Drainage
Materials Removal
Black Cotton Soil
Materials Improvement
Erosion Control
•Physical Methods
•Vegetative Methods
•Biotechnical Methods
•Control of Gullies
 How much erosion is possible
from roads?

cut slopes

road surface
ditches and gullies
fill slopes
Long-Term Solution = Stable Slopes
and Vegetation
Revegetation and Erosion Control –
When are we done?
 Erosion Control
Requires Action and
a Plan.
Rule #1 – Disturb as little ground as possible
Rule #2 – Stop the water source.
Rule #3 – Have a long-term erosion
control plan for your project.
Responsible people
Methods and timing
Seed and plant types
Sources
Maintenance
 Rule #4 – Have a short-term erosion
control plan for your construction
site.
Responsible people
Methods – silt fence,
diversion channels
settling ponds
Work stoppage
Where it all starts

• Happens on a
tiny scale
• Repeats over
and over

• Can become a
huge problem

R. Douglas
 Types of erosion

• Raindrop
• Sheet
• Rill
• Gully
• Channel

USFS
Types ofsion
Types of Roadway Erosion
PHYSICAL METHODS
TRM
Rock Armour
Silt Fence
Wattles
Settling Pond
VEGETATIVE METHODS
mulche
d,
fertilize
d&
seeded
Hydromulch
Headcut
Gullies usually start small…
Double Fence Check Dam
1964
2004
1964
2004
After 7 years, ephemeral flow became perennial.
Environmentally Sensitive
Maintenance
Styles of Maintenance

• Routine and Periodic Maintenance

(Ongoing and Deferred)

• Traditional Road Maintenance

• Environmentally Sensitive Road Maintenance

 Most Important--
Do Maintenance!!
Pothole Fishing

Juan D Quintero
POTHOLE
CROPS
Juan D. Quintero
Areas of Maintenance

• Road Surface-Potholes and Ruts

• Ditches
• Armoring/Riprap
• Culverts
• Disposal Areas
• Clearing/Brush Control
• Cut Slopes
• Erosion Control
• Signing/Safety
Road
Surface
Road Surface needs Reshaping
ROAD SURFACE PATCHING

Juan Quintero
Ditches
Ditch Armoring
Cut Slopes
Disposal Areas
Poor Disposal Sites
Good Disposal
Sites
Lazy Maintenance
Signing/Safety
Signing/Safety
 Most Important--
Do Maintenance!!
 Stability of
Roadway Cuts,
Fills and Slopes
Benching
Net
Cove
r
Retaining
Walls
Soil Nailing
Soil Nail
Launcher
 Summary
• Use commonly stable cut and fill slope angles

• Assess why a site failed

• Consider use of drainage and vegetation

• Find the least expensive, effective stabilization

measure

• Use structures where necessary

• Place structures on a solid foundation

Road Surface Drainage
Roads – Bare Ground
(Disturbed Areas)
Erosion lowers the road surface
Solution – Move water off road :

Maintain road shape and surface

Removing water with:
Ditches
Cross drains
Rolling Dips
Leadout ditches
Discharge water to ‘safe’ place
Flat Road Surface
Water Management:
Culvert Cross Drains
Discharge onto bedrock
Photo: Matt Boone, RWQCB
DRAINAGE

DRAINAGE

DRAINAGE
Pay Attention to
Drainage Detail
Thank you
धन्यवाद

342