Effects of rainfall infiltration on deep slope failure

With the finite element method and the limit equilibrium method, a numerical model has been established for examining the effects of rainfall infiltration on the stability of slopes. This model is able to availably reflect the variations in pore pressure field in slopes, dead weight of soil, and the softening of soil strength caused by rainfall infiltration. As a case study, an actual landslide located at the Nongji Jixiao in Chongqing is studied to analyze the effects of rainfall infiltration on the seepage field and the slope stability. The simulated results show that a deep slope failure is prone to occur when rainfall infiltration will lead to a remarkable variation in the seepage field, in particular, for large range pore water pressure increase in slopes. Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KJCX2-SW-L1-4) and the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (Grant No. 2002CB412703)