Development of a Monitoring System for Laboratory Investigation of Slope Failure

Slope failure is one of the serious issues faced by geotechnical engineers, the mechanism of which are case-specific. Shear strength and rainfall are the two critical parameters that require careful consideration with regard to slope failure risk. A laboratory scale model set-up was developed to assess failure susceptibility in embankment slopes. The material used in this study was silty soil having 15% fine content. Rainfall induced failure mechanism was investigated. Effect of slope angle was studied to arrive at a safe slope in a low permeable soil. A warning system was developed using laser diodes that capture soil movement. It was found that during the event of rainfall, the factor of safety with respect to shear reduced drastically. The warning system could capture the surface movement that occur at any section along the slope. Small-scale experimentation set up developed in the present study has the convenience of adjusting slope geometry, soil properties and failure mechanisms.