Some experience in numerical modelling of unsaturated slope instabilities

Abstract

In the past couple years, the region of South-East Europe is subjected to gust rainfall events activating many landslides which cause significant material and human losses. To revaluate the existing risk maps and set new standards some old case histories are revaluated. This paper presents two case histories of landslide instabilities subjected to excess climatic perturbations, gust rainfall, namely the «Stanjevci» cut-slope near the railway line in North-East of Slovenia; and the «Ramina» a natural landslide in urban area near the city of Veles in Central Macedonia. They are briefly described later to be analysed using coupled thermo-mechanical calculations. They are subjected to specific short and gusting rainfall considered as possible trigger. Hence, van Genuchten’s hydraulic model is used in combination with elastoplastic material models. The results are summarized with critical comments regarding the mathematical formulation used to describe atmospheric-soil interaction and the influence of different aspects on the accuracy is discussed briefly.