Regional-scale co-seismic landslide assessment using limit equilibrium analysis

Traditionally, regional assessment of seismic slope stability has been done using the infinite slope-rigid sliding block analysis. A major disadvantage of this approach is the resulting overestimation of the critical acceleration of the slope due to the underlying assumption of a predefined slope fa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Engineering geology Vol. 204; pp. 53 - 64
Main Authors: Saade, Angela, Abou-Jaoude, Grace, Wartman, Joseph
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier B.V 08.04.2016
Subjects:
Acceleration
Assessments
Co-seismic
computer software
earthquakes
engineering
equations
Failure
Geographic Information System
geophysics
inventories
Landslide assessment
Landslides
Mathematical models
Newmark sliding block
Planes
prediction
Regional
shear strength
Sliding
Slip surfaces
Slopes
USA, California, Los Angeles
Newmark sliding block
Regional
Slip surfaces
Landslide assessment
Geographic Information System
Co-seismic
ISSN:0013-7952, 1872-6917
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Summary:Traditionally, regional assessment of seismic slope stability has been done using the infinite slope-rigid sliding block analysis. A major disadvantage of this approach is the resulting overestimation of the critical acceleration of the slope due to the underlying assumption of a predefined slope failure plane, and consequently the underestimation of hazard areas prone to sliding. In this paper, we present a modified approach for assessing seismic slope instabilities using a model based on limit equilibrium analysis and circular slip surfaces with no restriction to any predefined slope failure plane. For this purpose, we conduct a parametric study to identify the relationship between the critical acceleration of the slope, the slope angle, and the slope shear strength parameters. We model typical slopes in the Rocscience software SLIDE using Bishop's limit equilibrium method to identify the critical accelerations that corresponds to a failure plane with factor of safety equal to one. The critical accelerations were plotted against the variables in the parametric study and the best fit equations were obtained. The proposed approach was developed for global application but it was tested using the well-documented co-seismic landslide database of the 1994 Northridge, CA earthquake. The predicted sliding areas were compared to the inventory of landslides that were triggered in the Val Verde region in Los Angeles by the earthquake. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of the proposed model clearly show its advantages in predicting potential sliding areas. •A modified method is presented to assess regional coseismic landslide occurrences.•Bishop’s limit equilibrium analysis is applied using soil and rock yield criteria.•The method is validated using the 1994 Northridge, CA coseismic landslide database.•Qualitatively, the method predicts very well actual landslide locations.•Quantitatively, the method is very efficient in capturing the hazard areas.
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ISSN:0013-7952
1872-6917
DOI:10.1016/j.enggeo.2016.02.004