Special Program for International Students

GRADUATE COURSE IN EARTH SCIENCE
  & GEOENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Current students


flag_pic

 

 

pic1
Fig 1: Shuping landslide, consisting of two blocks, in the main stream of the Three Gorges Reservoir (Wang, 2007).

 

pic2
Fig 2: Extensometer monitoring results (middle), precipitation in Yichang City (top) and water level in the Three Gorges Dam site (bottom) (Wang, 2007).

Hufeng Yang (China)

Email: yanghufeng1986 @163.com

Thesis title:  Monitoring, stability analysis and prediction of landslides triggered by rainfall and water level variation in Three Gorges Reservoir, China.

Supervisor:  Prof. Fawu Wang (2011-2014)

Landslides are a severe geological hazard in the Three Gorges Reservoir of China. Rainfall and water level variation are the main triggering factors leading to slope instability. Rainfall infiltration influences soil saturability and pore water pressure. In addition, the groundwater levels within landslides will change with the reservoir water level, which may also induce alternate wetting and drying in the potential sliding surface. Additionally, when the water level decreases great seepage force exists in these landslides. Therefore, it is essential to study the mechanism and prediction of the landslides triggered by rainfall and variation in the water level in the reservoir.

My research consists of three parts: field monitoring, laboratory tests and numerical analysis. Based on the field monitoring system, I will analyze the relationship between groundwater level change and landslide deformation. In the laboratory tests, I will establish a geological model according to landslide types, landslide scale, geotechnical nature and hydrological geology condition. Based on rainfall intensity and reservoir level variation condition, I will then obtain the shear strength of sliding surface and moisture content in the landslide model, and study the deformation feature of reservoir landslides. Finally, I will analyze the contribution of various factors, and quantitatively or semi-quantitatively evaluate these factors. Numerical analysis will also be conducted to study the failure process of the landslides. The monitoring data will be integrated with the laboratory tests and numerical analysis to establish a new method for the prediction of landslides triggered by rainfall and water level variations in reservoirs.


back_pic  TO THE RECENT GRADUATES PAGE

back_pic  TO THE SPECIAL PROGRAM HOME PAGE