Analysis of a talus slope in Brazil and its remediation design via 'pali radice' solution

摘要

This paper presents and discusses two general slope stability failures in the same lateral slope from one of the main highways of the Tocantins state, in central Brazil. It was observed that such failures were conditioned to the geotechnical characteristics of a talus slope of the region plus local groundwater fluctuations. Hence, the paper explores this problem by backanalyzing it with a limit equilibrium method and comparing the geotechnical results with laboratory data derived from samples of the sites. Further parametric analyses were carried out and all the gathered information was used in the final remediation work designed for the sites. The designed solution included the specification of a drainage system allied to an insertion of a structural reinforcement element at mid slope elevation, commonly known as "pali radice".