INTEGRATION OF LINEAMENT AND STRAIN ANALYSIS TO ASSESS LANDSLIDE VULNERABILITY ALONG TAIPING TO IPOH HIGHWAY, MALAYSIA

Abstract

The overall tectonics of a terrain and landslide occurrences can be controlled using lineament analysis. In addition, understanding the deformational characteristics of the rocks in question cannot be overemphasized. The current work was carried out along Taiping to Ipoh stretch of the North – South PLUS Highway Malaysia and its environs to assess landslide vulnerability via lineaments and strain deformation analysis. Approximately 73 km stretch of the road was analysed. Classification of about 197 lineaments was done from very high to very low density classes applying class break procedures to signify their respective risk zones. Fry strain analysis method was then integrated by digitizing the centre of the grains from which reference lines angles and axial ratios of 16 photomicrographs of various lithologies obtained from field investigations were used to understand their strain deformational pattern. The lineament intersection point map shows its concordance with the strain ellipsoid. The major trend of the lineaments and fry strain ellipsoid were both found to be trending NE–SW. Congruity between the lineaments intersection density and the flattened higher degree of strain signified a risk prone zone and probable landslide trigger along the highway.