Geotechnical Assessment of a Failed Slope in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir
摘要
This paper presents a case study of a failed slope at the Udhampur region of Jammu and Kashmir, which belongs to the Lesser Shivalik region of the northern Himalayas and falls under seismic zone IV. This slope, part of a defense establishment, was made unstable due to excavation at the toe slope for the construction of roads. The resulting slope failure significantly hindered the construction and endangered the existing infrastructure located at the crest of the slope. The scope of the present study primarily involves a thorough geotechnical assessment of an adjacent slope to this failed section. The considered slope profile was mapped at the site, and soil samples from the slope were collected for subsequent analyses in the laboratory. This slope profile and soil properties were then utilized for slope stability analysis using the Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM)-based package SLOPE/W. The analyses considered dry and wet (rainfall-induced) scenarios under both static and seismic (pseudo-static) conditions. The results reveal that the considered slope is unstable in its in situ conditions. The factor of safety further reduces when the constituent slope material becomes wet (due to rainfall) and when seismic loads are induced. The results of this site-specific study contribute to a better understanding of the stability of the considered slope and provide valuable insights for future construction planning in this area and stabilization measures.