A METHOD TO JUDGE SLOPE FAILURES USING SOIL MOISTURE CHARACTERISTICS

Slope failures often occur in Japan, and they frequently result from an increase in the moisture content of the soil. Thus, it is important to consider soil water content. In this study, we carried out a series of laboratory experiments to evaluate changes in soil moisture during rainfall. In the experiments, we constructed a model slope in which we installed 10 soil moisture sensors. The results indicated that the volumetric water content in the slope increased with rainfall, and the increments in volumetric water content were affected by the intensity of the rainfall. Then, using the experimental results, we developed a technique for judging slope failure risk based on absolute values of volumetric water content and rainfall characteristics. Our proposed method will be useful in judging the risk of slope failure because the criteria for the method are based not only on the precipitation but also on the soil moisture in-situ.