Chapters authored
Effect of the Rainfall Infiltration Processes on the Landslide Hazard Assessment of Unsaturated Soils in Tropical Mountainous Regions
Natural disasters caused by meteorological phenomena are affecting countries of the world with increasing frequency, and they are producing severe damage to population and its infrastructure, hampering the economic development of the countries. The rainfall-induced landslides occur almost every year in all mountainous regions, and globally, 14% of economic losses and 0.53% of deaths from disasters caused by natural phenomena are attributed to landslides. For this reason, landslide risk assessment has become more applied in recent years. We present an assessment of the effect of rainfall infiltration on unsaturated soils on slope stability. Initially, a theoretical approach of the problem is presented, and a model of probabilistic analysis is described. Subsequently, an application of the model is carried out in an eastern zone of Medellin, Colombia. The probability of saturation and the landslide hazard are determined and validated considering the effect of a rainfall event registered in November 2010 that caused severe damages in the studied zone. The influence of infiltration under static scenario is evaluated using two different approaches, and the soil parameters for these evaluations are determined by field and laboratory tests. Finally, the effect of the rainfall infiltration processes on the landslide hazard assessment of evaluated unsaturated soils is determined.
Part of the book: Engineering and Mathematical Topics in Rainfall