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Thermo-mechanical modelling for velocity prediction in catastrophic landslides

Thermo-mechanical modelling for velocity prediction in catastrophic landslides
Thermo-mechanical modelling for velocity prediction in catastrophic landslides
Thermal pressurisation has been proposed in literature as the key phenomenon to interpret the mechanics of the final collapse of large slope failures. A new thermomechanical model is proposed by improving on an existing one, applicable to large landslides and rockslides consisting of a coherent mass sliding on a thin clayey layer. The considered time window is that of catastrophic acceleration, which starts at incipient failure and ends a few seconds later, when the acquired displacement and velocity are such that the landslide is broken up into pieces. The model takes into account frictional heating, pore pressure build-up and thermoplastic collapse of the soil skeleton, leading to the vanishing of shear resistance and unconstrained acceleration. First, an existing thermo-elasto-plastic constitutive model for clays is discussed, and modified by re-formulating it in a general stress space and taking into account thermal softening. The soil constitutive model is then employed into an existing 1-D landslide model (Vardoulakis 2002), resulting in a set of three equations describing the time evolution of temperature, excess pore pressures within the shearband and slide velocity. The resulting model equations are shown to be well-posed, and then are discretised and integrated numerically to back-analyse the final stage of the case history of Vajont that occurred in Italy in 1963. Finally, a generalisation of this model and its potential applicability to the velocity back-prediction of other well-documented case histories are discussed.
Cecinato, F.
39ce6c19-7429-465e-a769-d9b500a496e6
Zervos, A.
9e60164e-af2c-4776-af7d-dfc9a454c46e
Cecinato, F.
39ce6c19-7429-465e-a769-d9b500a496e6
Zervos, A.
9e60164e-af2c-4776-af7d-dfc9a454c46e

Cecinato, F. and Zervos, A. (2008) Thermo-mechanical modelling for velocity prediction in catastrophic landslides. Geophysical Research Abstracts volume 10 (Proceedings of the 2008 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union), Vienna, Austria. 12 - 17 Apr 2008.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Thermal pressurisation has been proposed in literature as the key phenomenon to interpret the mechanics of the final collapse of large slope failures. A new thermomechanical model is proposed by improving on an existing one, applicable to large landslides and rockslides consisting of a coherent mass sliding on a thin clayey layer. The considered time window is that of catastrophic acceleration, which starts at incipient failure and ends a few seconds later, when the acquired displacement and velocity are such that the landslide is broken up into pieces. The model takes into account frictional heating, pore pressure build-up and thermoplastic collapse of the soil skeleton, leading to the vanishing of shear resistance and unconstrained acceleration. First, an existing thermo-elasto-plastic constitutive model for clays is discussed, and modified by re-formulating it in a general stress space and taking into account thermal softening. The soil constitutive model is then employed into an existing 1-D landslide model (Vardoulakis 2002), resulting in a set of three equations describing the time evolution of temperature, excess pore pressures within the shearband and slide velocity. The resulting model equations are shown to be well-posed, and then are discretised and integrated numerically to back-analyse the final stage of the case history of Vajont that occurred in Italy in 1963. Finally, a generalisation of this model and its potential applicability to the velocity back-prediction of other well-documented case histories are discussed.

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More information

Published date: 2008
Venue - Dates: Geophysical Research Abstracts volume 10 (Proceedings of the 2008 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union), Vienna, Austria, 2008-04-12 - 2008-04-17

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 52721
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/52721
PURE UUID: 1226f233-8df4-4a69-a7c0-2cf47cd76dc2
ORCID for A. Zervos: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2662-9320

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 26 Aug 2008
Last modified: 12 Dec 2021 03:22

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Contributors

Author: F. Cecinato
Author: A. Zervos ORCID iD

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