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Rainfall-induced landslides are a common problem in residual soil slopes of the tropics. It is widely known that rainfall-induced slope failures are mainly caused by infiltration of rainwater; however, the response of a residual soil slope to infiltration is not fully understood. The difficulties lie in the quantification of the flux boundary condition across the slope surface with respect to infiltration and its effect on the pore-water pressure conditions in the slope. Therefore, it is important to understand the response of a slope to different rainfall conditions and the resulting changes in pore-water pressures and water contents. A residual soil slope in Singapore was instrumented with pore-water pressure, water content, and rainfall measuring devices, and studies were carried out under natural and simulated rainfalls. Results indicate that significant infiltration may occur in a residual soil slope during a rainfall. Small total rainfalls can contribute a larger infiltration percentage than large total rainfalls. The percentage of infiltration usually decreases with increasing total rainfalls. The study has indicated the existence of a threshold rainfall of about 10 mm for runoff generation to commence. Infiltration during wet periods may lead to the development of positive pore-water pressures as a consequence of a perched water table condition. Matric suctions are recovered gradually during dry periods due to redistribution. Soil water contents tend to be higher near the toe of the slope than at the crest irrespective of rainfall events, indicating subsurface movement of water in the downslope direction. The study has also indicated a correlation between rainfall amount and relative increase in pore-water pressure. The results can be used to quantify the flux boundary conditions required for the seepage analyses associated with rainfall-induced slope failures.Key words: infiltration, pore-water pressure, water content, residual soil, rainfall-induced slope failures.

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Abstract:Characteristics of changes in pore-water pressure distribution are the main parameters associated with slope stability analysis involving unsaturated soils, which are directly affected by the flux boundary conditions (rainfall infiltration, evaporation and evapo-transpiration) at the soil-atmosphere interface. Four slopes were instrumented in two major geological formations in Singapore to provide real-time measurements of pore-water pressures and rainfall events on the slopes. The field monitoring results were analysed to characterize pore-water pressure distributions under various meteorological conditions and to study the effect of antecedent rainfall on pore-water pressure distributions in typical residual soil slopes under tropical climate. Slope stability analyses were also conducted for the best and worst pore-water pressure distributions recorded in each slope to determine the range of factor of safety for the slopes. Results indicate that, antecedent rainfall, initial pore-water pressures prior to a significant rainfall event as well as the magnitude of the rainfall event play a crucial role in the development of the worst pore-water pressure condition in a slope. The role of antecedent rainfall in the development of the worst pore-water pressure condition was found to be more significant in residual soils with low permeability as compared with that in residual soils with high permeability. Pore-water pressure variation due to rainfall was found to take place over a wide range in residual soils with higher permeability as compared to residual soils with lower permeability. The worst pore-water pressure profiles occurred when the total rainfall including the 5-day antecedent rainfall (in most cases) reached a maximum value during a wet period. The factor of safety of residual soils with low permeability was found to be unaffected by the worst pore-water pressure condition.

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Abstract:The relatively high cost of commercially available raindrop spectrometers and disdrometers has inhibited detailed and intensive research on drop size distribution, kinetic energy and momentum of rainfall which are important for understanding and modelling soil erosion caused by raindrop detachment. In this study, an approach to ®nd the drop size distribution, momentum and kinetic energy of rainfall using a relatively inexpensive device that uses a piezoelectric force transducer for sensing raindrop impact response is introduced. The instrument continuously and automatically records, on a time-scale, the amplitude of electrical pulses produced by the impact of raindrops on the surface of the transducer. The size distribution of the raindrops and their respective kinetic energy are calculated by analysing the number and amplitude of pulses recorded, and from the measured volume of total rainfall using a calibration curve. Simultaneous measurements of the instrument, a rain gauge and a dye-stain method were used to assess the performance of the instrument. Test results from natural and simulated rainfalls are presented.

Abstract:Data on drop size distribution and kinetic energy load of rainstorms are basic for rainfall erosivity indices. A simple and relatively inexpensive instrument was used to asses the instantaneous intensity and kinetic energy load of rainstorms in Hong Kong. Both the drop size and the instantaneous kinetic energy load of rainfall in Hong Kong are greater than in temperate and subtropical climates. The high kinetic energy results from the large size and greater number of raindrops falling per unit time. A high correlation between the kinetic energy of rainfall and the amount of rainfall allows for a convenient estimate of the energy load of storms from the amount of rainfall. Of more signi®cance to the erosion process is the determination that about 74% of the total annual rainfall is erosive, containing about three-quarters of the total annual energy load of the rains. The variability of rainfall parameters within a rainfall and from storm to storm is shown. The energy±intensity relationship, seasonal and annual distributions of rainfall erosivity are presented.

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