Understanding Landslides through Case Studies

Landslides are a major geohazard and a threat to communities and infrastructure worldwide. As climate change impacts intensify, a good understanding of the triggering factors and slope instability mechanisms is vital in order to assess and mitigate the risk. This comprehensive guide delves into slope failure and post-failure landslide mechanisms – knowledge that can save lives and protect communities globally.

Structured in two complementary parts, this authoritative volume first builds a solid theoretical foundation before bringing concepts to life through several well-documented examples. Part I explores the fundamental soil properties with specific concern to slopes, uncovers the often-complex mechanisms of slope failure and examines the crucial individual factors that control slope movements. This section therefore provides the essential theoretical framework for understanding these destructive natural phenomena. Part II reports 28 well-documented case histories presented by renowned experts from all over the world. These compelling case studies, which illuminate typical and less common phenomena of slope deformation and failure, transform abstract concepts into practical insights.

Whether you are a researcher pushing the boundaries of geotechnical knowledge, a practitioner implementing slope stability solutions, or a graduate student in soil engineering or geohazards, this book delivers invaluable knowledge directly applicable to your work. Civil engineers and geologists will also find this accessible volume an essential addition to their professional library.

Serge Leroueil is an Emeritus Professor at the Civil Engineering Department of Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada and an expert on landslide mechanisms. His research interests include soil behaviour, soil viscosity, soil compaction, in‑situ testing, embankments on soft clays, and cuts and natural slopes. Serge gave the Rankine Lecture upon the invitation of the British Geotechnical Society on the theme of landslides and is Fellow of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada; he has moreover received several prestigious awards like the Legget Medal and the Canadian Senate Medal.

Luciano Picarelli is a former professor at the Civil Engineering Department of the Seconda Universita di Napoli where he was Director of the Research Center in Environmental Engineering. For 12 years, Luciano chaired the Joint Technical Committee (JTC1) on Landslides set up by the Federation of International Geo‑engineering Societies (FedIGS). Luciano’s research focuses on the mechanics of structurally complex formations, geotechnical issues in road construction, and slope stability and landslide risk mitigation. Throughout his academic life, Luciano has given numerous lectures all over the world, including the Suklje and the Croce Lectures. Finally, he received the Varnes medal bestowed by the International Consortium on Landslides.