Investigation of Geohazard Potential of Highway Embankment Slopes on Expansive Clay by using Geophysical Methods

摘要

Natural disasters due to failure of geo-structures present an important threat all over the world. Each year, rain induced slope failures cause significant damages in infrastructures and environments, as well as tragic losses of human lives around the world. Therefore, it is important and necessary to improve our knowledge of slope failure mechanism and ways to mitigate slope failures. At present, soil drilling and sampling method are used for the determination of geo-hazard potential of a site. However, this method offers information at certain points, not a general "view" of the site. Geophysical methods have the possibility to give an "image" of the subsurface. The objective of the current paper is to present the results of a site investigation using Resistivity Imaging (RI) and Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) for a highway slope failure in Texas, USA. The site investigation was also conducted using soil test borings. The investigation results were utilized to identify possible failure plan and to determine the associated geo-hazard potential of the site. The preliminary results indicate that geophysical methods can be successfully utilized to determine the geohazard potential of a site.