Landslide Hazards and Counter Measures for Smooth Flow of Traffic

A large number of landslides present significant hazards, especially during the rainy season in the Himalayas and other hilly regions in India. The risk of landslides increases substantially with heavy rain. Once a landslide begins, it is challenging to halt its progression or provide advance warnings. These landslides can obstruct vital roads, disrupting essential supply lines to remote towns and villages for extended periods. In landslide-prone areas, maintaining traffic flow on national highways becomes a critical task for authorities. To mitigate landslide occurrences and restore hill slope stability, advanced monitoring systems are recommended. This paper proposes the development of suitable models to assess the effectiveness of various stabilization techniques. Trench drains are commonly employed to drain water from the soil, thereby reducing pore water pressure and restoring slope stability. The paper explores the application of the finite element method (FEM) in developing guidelines for designing trench drainage systems. By investigating the behavior of pore water through soil mass for two-dimensional flow within parallel rectangular trench drainage systems, the study examines the influence of geometrical factors such as depth, width, and spacing. The guidelines developed from numerical solutions and diagrams offer practical utility for geotechnical engineers in constructing trench drains to prevent landslides.