An Experimental Study on the Hydromechanical Behaviours of the Evolution of Postearthquake Landslide Deposits

Abstract

In this study, a series of experiments of the full-scale physical model was employed to investigate the hydromechanical behaviours of the postearthquake landslide evolution, in forms of rill erosion and shallow headward failure on the rill bank slopes under unsaturated conditions. Soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) were established using the Brooks-Corey (BC) and van Genuchten (VG) models. The stability of the shallow failure was then analyzed via a one-dimensional and unsaturated stability analysis model of the infinite slope. This measurement revealed that the preferential flow and the matrix flow coexisted when infiltration occurred and the VG model performs better in fitting the SWCC than the BC model. Consistent feedback between stability calculations and experimental observations enables the analysis of mechanisms of rill erosion and slope failure of postseismic landslide under the impact of preferential flow. Furthermore, the seepage-induced internal erosion phenomenon was observed in the experiment. This work thus provides a new perspective on the triggering mechanisms of debris flow during the postseismic period.