Search Results (758)

Rainfall-induced shallow loess landslides pose a significant threat to human life and property. Early warning and risk assessment of these landslides are critical prerequisites for engineering control and disaster loss reduction. The Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-Based Regional Slope-Stability Model (TRIGRS)-Three-dimensional Slope Stability Analysis Tool (Scoops 3D) joint model can overcome the shortcomings of using a single TRIGRS model for hydrological analysis and a single Scoops 3D model for slope stability analysis. Landslide risk assessment based on expected economic loss, on the other hand, can overcome the issue of maintaining the risk level edge and sorting at the same level. In this paper, the TRIGRS model’s head pressures were put into the Scoops 3D model, with the southeast of Fangta, a town in Shaanxi province, China, as the study area. The relationship between the slope gradient and the number of grids in each stable grade was certified. The rainfall thresholds for landslides, based on both rainfall intensity and rainfall duration, were obtained by rerunning the TRIGRS-Scoops 3D joint model. The landslide range and land uses of each dangerous slope were determined by maximum likelihood classification, and then the expected economic loss was calculated. To verify the reliability of the TRIGRS-Scoops 3D joint model, the identified dangerous slopes were compared with the results from landslide susceptibility mapping. The results show that the unstable grids are concentrated within a slope gradient of 30° to 35°, and the landslide early warning levels are divided into Tier 3, Tier 2, and Tier 1 Warnings. The occurrence of shallow loess landslides is affected by both rainfall intensity and rainfall duration, and the combined effect should be considered in early warning. The distribution of both extreme susceptible grids and high susceptible grids across all 23 dangerous slopes demonstrates the reasonableness of the TRIGRS-Scoops 3D joint model. The landslide susceptible probability within some dangerous slopes exhibits spatial variability. The mapping relationship between the slope gradient and loess landslides is extremely complex. This paper can provide a theoretical basis for the early warning and risk management for rainfall-induced shallow loess landslides; the proposed method is also applicable to other regions with similar geological and meteorological conditions. Full article

Increasing frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events, together with altered soil saturation dynamics, have significantly increased the occurrence of shallow landslides. These processes are closely linked to climate change and increasingly affect mountainous and hilly regions worldwide, where rainfall-induced pore pressure variations and transient infiltration govern slope instability. Despite growing recognition of climate-driven slope failures, most conventional geomechanical analyses still rely on static assumptions and simplified boundary conditions, which are insufficient to capture the pronounced temporal variability of hydro-climatic forcing. To address this gap, this study introduces a conceptual and methodological framework for a proactive landslide cadaster, developed within the Climate Adaptive Resilience Evaluation (CARE) framework. Rather than serving as a static inventory of past events, the proposed cadaster functions as a structured, updatable repository of climate–geomechanical parameters that directly support advanced landslide analyses. The core innovation lies in the formalization of the climate–geomechanical interface, which enables the transformation of climatic and hydrological variables into parameters directly applicable in geomechanical modeling. These parameters encompass climatic, hydrological, geomechanical, and thermo-hydraulic processes and are assigned to spatially referenced locations, complemented by documented landslide occurrences. Their spatial distribution forms a network of reference points that allows interpolation, continuous updating, and reuse across multiple analyses. In this way, the cadaster becomes a proactive, process-based data infrastructure, serving as the foundational input for scenario-based landslide susceptibility, hazard, and risk assessments within the CARE analytical workflow. The conceptual framework is illustrated through an example from Slovenia, focusing on the Visole area near Maribor, where selected data types and workflow steps are presented for demonstration purposes. Full article

The Bayan Obo Mining District, recognized as the largest rare-earth resource base worldwide, has experienced significant surface instability due to intensive mining and large-scale dumping activities. To address the challenges posed by complex geological conditions and mining-induced disturbances, this study employs dual-ascending Sentinel-1A C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) datasets (Path 11 and Path 113) and applies the Small Baseline Subset Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SBAS-InSAR) technique to retrieve time-series deformation along the line-of-sight (LOS) direction for each track. Through temporal normalization and spatial matching, paired LOS observations from the two tracks were established. Based on the SAR observation geometry and under the assumption that the north–south component is negligible, a LOS projection model was constructed and a geometric decomposition was performed to derive the east–west and vertical two-dimensional deformation fields. The results indicate that the study area is generally stable, while significant subsidence occurs in the northern pit and adjacent waste-dump zones, with local maximum rates approaching 50 mm/year, predominantly controlled by the vertical component. The two-dimensional deformation analysis reveals that vertical displacement dominates surface motion, whereas east–west movement shows smaller amplitudes but clear directional concentration. In particular, the east–west slopes exhibit slightly higher velocities, suggesting a lateral adjustment tendency along this direction, likely related to the overall east–west geometric configuration of the open-pit and waste-dump areas. Time-series observations further reveal that precipitation-related surface deformation occurs with an approximate two-month delay, reflecting the hydrological–mechanical coupling processes of rainfall infiltration, pore-water pressure propagation, and dump-material consolidation. Overall, this study reveals the multi-dimensional deformation characteristics and precipitation-driven stage-wise response of the mining area, demonstrating the effectiveness of the dual-ascending SBAS-InSAR for two-dimensional deformation monitoring in highly disturbed environments, and providing a scientific basis for surface stability assessment and geohazard prevention. Full article

The application of computational simulation in industrial engineering plays a critical role in designing sustainable infrastructure solutions. We applied a hexagonal green pavement system developed through digital simulation to address challenges in urban stormwater management. The system comprises an upper base layer that bears structural loads and a lower support layer designed for water infiltration and drainage. Structural performance was evaluated using SolidWorks simulations under static loads of up to 1100 N. The results indicate that stress values remain within the material’s yield strength, ensuring structural reliability. Hydraulic performance was also assessed using various valve opening scenarios to simulate different rainfall intensities. The system demonstrated effective infiltration capability, with flow retardation coefficients ranging from 0.66 to 0.80. These findings validate the system’s potential to reduce surface runoff and mitigate urban flooding. The study results highlight how digital simulation, as part of a digital twin framework, can support the development of resilient, modular infrastructure for sustainable urban drainage. This approach represents a practical application of industrial engineering computation to advance smart and eco-friendly urban systems. Full article

The Hulukou-Xiangbiling section of the Jinsha River is located in a typical high-mountain gorge area characterized by a complex geological environment, rendering it highly susceptible to landslide disasters. To reveal the deformation mechanisms of typical landslides in this region under hydrological effects, this study employed the Small Baseline Subset InSAR (SBAS-InSAR) technique to process multi-track Sentinel-1 SAR images acquired between 2021 and 2024. Long-term deformation time series were extracted for the Xiaxiaomidi and Chenjiatian landslides. On this basis, a systematic multi-scale coupling analysis of the deformation characteristics was conducted using trend-cycle decomposition, Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT), Cross Wavelet Transform (XWT), and Wavelet Coherence (WTC). The results indicate that although the two landslides are located in the same river section, their deformation mechanisms and hydrological response patterns differ significantly. The deformation of the Xiaomidi landslide is mainly concentrated in the lower part of the slope, exhibiting a characteristic of continuous acceleration. The analysis demonstrates that the evolution of this landslide is primarily controlled by hydrodynamic processes such as toe unloading, water body erosion, and water level fluctuations. In contrast, the Chenjiatian landslide displays a distinct dominant cycle of 365 days, manifesting as a composite mode of long-term creep superimposed with seasonal acceleration. Its deformation shows a high correlation with rainfall (correlation coefficient > 0.9), with a lag effect of approximately 1 to 2 months. This reflects the dominant role of rainfall infiltration and pore pressure transfer in the landslide dynamics. Full article

Rainfall is recognised as one of the major external factors affecting the stability of retaining walls. The magnitude of rainfall directly influences the overall stability of retaining walls, while rainfall patterns alter the infiltration process and the saturation state of the soil, thereby affecting soil shear strength and retaining wall stability. In order to investigate the effects of rainfall pattern and intensity on the stability of reinforced soil gabion retaining walls, numerical simulations were carried out to examine wall stability under two typical rainfall patterns (uniform and intermittent) and three rainfall intensities (20 mm/d, 50 mm/d, and 80 mm/d). The results indicate that: (1) under uniform rainfall conditions, the extent of the soil pore water pressure response zone is greater than that under intermittent rainfall of the same intensity, and as the uniform rainfall intensity increases from 20 mm/d to 80 mm/d, the pore water pressure response zone expands by approximately four times; (2) the rainfall pattern exerts a certain influence on the distribution characteristics of the time-history curves of lateral displacement of the retaining wall, with the horizontal displacement under intermittent rainfall exhibiting a non-uniform growth pattern associated with the rainfall pattern; (3) uniform heavy rainfall has a more pronounced effect on the horizontal displacement of reinforced soil gabion retaining walls, with the maximum absolute horizontal displacement reaching approximately 12.89 mm; and (4) rainfall pattern affects the evolution of the slope stability coefficient, which gradually decreases and eventually stabilises under uniform rainfall, whereas under intermittent rainfall it shows a continuous decreasing trend characterised by alternating rates of reduction, with a greater reduction observed under uniform rainfall conditions. These findings elucidate the influence of different rainfall patterns and intensities on the displacement behaviour and stability of reinforced soil gabion retaining walls, and provide a reference for risk assessment of reinforced soil gabion retaining walls. Full article

The undegradable characteristics of heavy metals on environmental quality have become a serious human health concern. A study was conducted in a potato field to investigate the impact of soil amended with animal manure or biochar on the transport of toxic heavy metals and nitrates to runoff and seepage water. The soil in 18 field plots was separated, and each of 3 plots was mixed with biochar, chicken manure, vermicompost, sewage sludge, or cow manure, with 3 plots used as the control. Following a natural rainfall event, the impact of soil treatments on the runoff and infiltration water volume was monitored. Runoff water from the soil amended with biochar exhibited 10.6 L plot⁻¹, whereas cow manure exhibited 4.1 L plot⁻¹, indicating about 61% reduction in runoff water volume. The vermicompost-amended soil increased the seepage water volume from 1.6 L plot⁻¹ in the control treatment to 4.4 L plot⁻¹, indicating a 175% increase in percolating water, a desirable attribute to direct rainfall water towards the plant roots. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ni, Mn, Cr, Mg, Cu, and K in infiltration water were greater in runoff sediments, highlighting the need for runoff sediment remediation technology. Full article

Soil tillage practices play a key role in controlling soil’s physical properties, water infiltration, and runoff generation, particularly in erosion-prone cropping systems such as maize monocultures. The cultivation of wide-row crops is restricted on erosion-prone land; however, these crops constitute a fundamental basis for livestock feed and represent a key input raw material for biogas plants. This 4-year study evaluated the effects of three tillage practices—conventional ploughing, shallow tillage, and no tillage—on selected soil’s physical and chemical properties and on water infiltration processes in a maize (Zea mays L.) monoculture. Experimental maize stands were established in a field with a silty clay Luvic Chernozem. Field measurements were performed over multiple years and included soil bulk density, macroporosity, cone index, soil organic carbon, soil pH, soil aggregate stability, and water infiltration. Infiltration processes were assessed using a combination of double-ring infiltrometers, rainfall simulation, and dye tracer experiments to characterize water flow patterns under controlled conditions. The results demonstrated that soil tillage significantly influenced the vertical distribution of soil organic carbon and pH, soil aggregate stability, soil compaction, and pore characteristics, with the most pronounced differences observed in the upper soil layers. Soil aggregate stability in the 0–0.10 m layer showed a clear numerical trend, with the highest mean value under ST (0.42) compared with PL (0.28) and no tillage (NT) (0.26). Topsoil Cox was the highest under ST (3.591%) compared with PL (2.838%) and NT (2.634%). Differences among tillage practices were particularly evident during simulated rainfall events, affecting infiltration rates, runoff initiation, and preferential flow patterns. Ring infiltrometer measurements indicated higher infiltration in PL (e.g., 21.1 mm min⁻¹ at minute 1 in PL vs. 11.1/11.9 mm min⁻¹ in ST/NT; 10.9 mm min⁻¹ at minute 10 in PL vs. 5.3/7.6 mm min⁻¹ in ST/NT). However, rainfall simulation showed the highest runoff in PL, including the earliest runoff onset (4.5 min). Despite the soil’s high infiltration capacity due to low bulk density and higher porosity, the decisive factor promoting water infiltration into the soil is the condition of the soil surface, which is influenced by the stability of soil aggregates; this stability was enhanced by the input of organic matter from plant residues. The findings confirm that long-term soil tillage management substantially modifies soil hydraulic behaviour and highlight the importance of tillage system selection for improving soil water infiltration and reducing runoff risk in maize monoculture systems. Full article

This study aims at developing an integrated system comprising TDR technologies for continuous and 3D monitoring of the vadose zone with special focus on the aerial distribution of water during an artificial sprinkling experiment. The system was tested during field artificial infiltration experiments. The objective of this study is to evaluate a flexible long TDR sensor in the field during a sprinkling and infiltration experiment that mimics rainfall and irrigation events through zonal wetting, monitor the resulting water flows and compare the findings with those from custom rigid spatial TDR sensors. This study exclusively used the TDR technique to measure soil moisture changes during the infiltration experiment, utilizing both custom rigid spatial sensors and a flexible sensor. The results indicate that the flexible sensor, which can be installed in the soil in arrays that rigid sensors cannot, achieved logical and coherent soil moisture estimations, proving that it could also be used as a standalone sensor for soil volumetric water content measurements. The use of long flexible sensors, along with long rigid sensors, facilitates continuous, precise, and 3D monitoring of moisture changes across larger soil volumes, transcending traditional point measurements and 1D soil moisture profiles typically associated with the TDR technique. Full article

Climate-driven extremes in temperature and precipitation are increasingly threatening the stability and serviceability of slopes, embankments, levees, transportation corridors, and other earthen infrastructures founded on expansive and problematic soils. Conventional stabilization strategies, which often treat reinforcement and drainage as separate design elements, struggle to cope with cyclic wetting-drying, freeze-thaw, and prolonged rainfall events that drive desiccation cracking, loss of matric suction, elevated pore-water pressures, and progressive strength degradation. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of geosynthetic-reinforced slopes with particular emphasis on geogrid geotextile composite systems and their performance under high-temperature, high-rainfall, and low-temperature environments. We first summarize the fundamentals of geosynthetic types, functions, and material properties, then examine how thermal and hydrological processes such as creep, oxidation, frost heave, infiltration, suction loss, and pore-pressure build-up govern the performance of geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) systems. Next, we synthesize recent advances in composite geosynthetics that integrate reinforcement, filtration, separation, and drainage, highlighting laboratory studies, centrifuge modeling, numerical analyses, and field case histories for mechanically stabilized earth walls, pavements, railway embankments, levee systems, and rainfall-induced and expansive soil slopes. Across these applications, geogrid geotextile composites consistently improve hydraulic control, maintain effective stress, and enhance factors of safety under extreme climatic loading. The review concludes by identifying critical research gaps, including coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical characterization, performance-based design approaches, and climate-resilient guidelines for geosynthetic selection and detailing. These findings underscore the potential of composite geosynthetics to enable more sustainable and resilient slope and earthwork infrastructure in a changing climate. Full article

Reinforced-soil structures in rainfall-prone regions may deform or fail when infiltration weakens the geogrid–soil interface. This study quantifies the degradation of unsaturated shear strength at a geogrid–sandy-soil interface during rainfall infiltration. A large-scale direct shear apparatus was retrofitted with a controllable rainfall system and real-time water-content monitoring. Interface shear tests were conducted under different normal stresses, rainfall intensities, infiltration durations, and shear rates. Peak interface shear strength increased approximately linearly with normal stress and remained about 50% higher than that of unreinforced sand. Rainfall infiltration caused pronounced strength loss; at 120 mm·h⁻¹, extending infiltration from 10 to 30 min reduced apparent cohesion by ~56% and friction angle by ~23%. Cohesion decayed exponentially, whereas friction angle decreased nearly linearly, and faster shearing intensified both reductions. Response-surface regression further indicates that degradation is most severe under low normal stress, high rainfall intensity, and long infiltration duration. Water-content profiles reveal a persistent moisture-enriched zone adjacent to the shear plane (~3.4% higher than at 30 mm depth), implying reduced matric suction and promoting shear-band localization that accelerates interface weakening. These findings provide quantitative input for evaluating rainfall-induced performance loss of geogrid-reinforced soil structures. Full article

Mexico City (CDMX) is located in an endorheic basin historically prone to flooding and waterlogging, the recurrence and magnitude of which have intensified in recent decades. However, flood risk assessment tends to focus primarily on the occurrence of intense rainfall to explain this phenomenon. The main objective of this study is to demonstrate that the risk of flooding in Mexico City (CDMX) depends not only on intense rainfall, but also on changes in hydrological vulnerability resulting from the loss of natural vegetation cover. The curve number (CN) method is used to determine hydrological vulnerability and flood risk in CDMX, integrating environmental information and precipitation values. Changes in surface runoff are also determined for 10 watersheds located west of Mexico City, considering urbanization in 1992 and 2021, as well as a non-urbanized scenario. The results indicate that hydrological vulnerability and flood risk increased from acceptable levels to “high” and “very high” levels, mainly in regions where urbanization increased and natural vegetation decreased. It was also identified that, under different levels of precipitation, agricultural and urban land cover have considerably lower infiltration capacities compared to natural land cover, such as forests, which infiltrate more than half of the precipitation. Finally, the increase in surface runoff in the watersheds located west of the city is closely related to the urbanization process and the physical characteristics of the territory. It was also observed that a degraded watershed can generate approximately 90% more runoff than a non-urbanized watershed. Full article

Understanding the crack development and rainfall infiltration in loess under wetting–drying cycles is crucial for assessing slope stability and promoting sustainable land management in ecologically vulnerable regions. This study employed a three-dimensional column model (Φ₂₄ × 50 cm) with 64 buried electrodes to simulate short-term heavy rainfall by changing the light duration (10 h/d and 5 h/d) and using 100 mm rainfall water. Results indicate that dry–wet cycles cause cumulative damage, significantly altering soil infiltration properties. After four cycles, the rainfall infiltration recharge coefficient increased from an initial 0.44% to 45.58%, a more than 100-fold rise. Resistivity imaging revealed a shift in water transport mode: from uniform matrix flow initially to preferential flow dominated by crack networks as cracks developed. During drying, crack zones exhibited high resistivity (ρ > 150 Ω·m), while water-filled cracks during infiltration showed low resistivity (ρ < 50 Ω·m). Resistivity is an excellent comprehensive index to quantify multi-field coupling damage, and its change (ρ∝ 1/w^1.86 × 1/(1 + 0.032 width)) synchronously responds to water content, crack development and dry–wet process. Low water content (w < 15%) and medium crack width (4–6 mm) are the most sensitive states. Longer illumination (10 h/d) promoted greater crack development and higher infiltration capacity compared to shorter cycles (5 h/d). The developed resistivity–moisture relationship provides a non-destructive monitoring tool for slope moisture dynamics, supporting not only geotechnical stability assessment but also optimized irrigation scheduling and adaptive land-use planning. These insights contribute directly to the sustainable management of soil and water resources in loess landscapes, aligning with sustainability goals in fragile ecosystems. Full article

Rural cut-slope construction constitutes a typical trigger of geological hazards in mountainous regions of developing countries, a risk exacerbated under climate change with the increased frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events. This study developed an early identification framework for assessing landslide hazard potential associated with such construction, based on the Comprehensive Index Method (CIM). Using Fujian Province, China, as a case study, seven core influencing factors—including slope-wall distance, cut-slope height, and slope gradient—were selected to establish a differentiated weighting system. By integrating multi-source geospatial data, the framework enables automatic identification of potential hazards and risk classification. Results indicate that of the more than 144,000 potential hazard sites identified across the province, 21.20% were classified as medium-risk or higher-risk. High-risk sites display marked spatial clustering, predominantly located in inland counties of northwestern, central, and western Fujian, characterized by steep topography, frequent cut-slope activities, and extensively distributed clay soil layers—conditions highly sensitive to rainfall infiltration. Structural parameter analysis reveals that the vast majority of potential hazard sites exhibit typical engineering geological characteristics, including narrow slope-wall distance, steep cut-slope gradients, and moderate cut-slope height, collectively increasing the susceptibility to rainfall-induced instability. Validation based on two heavy rainfall events in 2024 (Super Typhoon Gaemi and the 9 June Wuping-Shanghang event) yielded identification match rates of 91.8% and 79.98%, respectively, with Kappa coefficients of 0.85 and 0.72, confirming the reliability and practical applicability of the method under extreme weather scenarios. The proposed framework offers valuable support for regional landslide prevention and climate adaptation planning in the context of ongoing climate change. Full article

Frequent extreme rainfall events in northwestern China have made loess–mudstone composite slopes highly susceptible to progressive failure, posing serious threats to infrastructure and public safety. This study investigates the deformation–failure mechanisms and evolutionary characteristics of such slopes under rainfall infiltration by integrating indoor physical model tests with long-term SBAS-InSAR time-series deformation monitoring. The physical model experiments reveal pronounced hydro-mechanical heterogeneity within the composite slope: surface fissures act as preferential flow paths, the mudstone interface exerts a significant water-blocking effect, and hydrological responses differ markedly between shallow and deep layers. The wetting front exhibits a distinct dual-layer migration pattern, characterized by rapid lateral expansion in the shallow layer and delayed advancement in the deep layer. Rainfall infiltration induces a progressive failure process, evolving from toe infiltration softening and mid-slope local erosion to differential crest erosion and ultimately overall sliding, forming a typical failure pattern of frontal creeping, central shearing, and rear tensile deformation. SBAS-InSAR results indicate that the natural landslide experienced a similar long-term progressive evolution, developing from shallow, localized deformation to deep-seated and slope-wide acceleration under multi-year rainfall. Despite differences in spatial deformation patterns influenced by natural microtopography, the failure stages and dominant deformation zones identified by both approaches show strong consistency. The combined results demonstrate that rainfall-induced suction decay, interface softening, pore water pressure accumulation, and stress redistribution jointly control the progressive instability of loess–mudstone slopes. This study highlights the effectiveness of integrating physical modeling and InSAR monitoring for elucidating rainfall-induced landslide mechanisms and provides scientific insights for hazard assessment and mitigation in composite-structure slopes. Full article