Analysis of a Landslide on a Railway Track Using Laser Scanning and FEM Numerical Modelling

Abstract

In this study, we present an analysis of the causes of a landslide along a railway track in the Polish Lowlands. The landslide damaged the railway track and caused significant material losses. Digital models of the terrain surface before and after the landslide were elaborated. Remote sensing using LIDAR aerial technique and a terrestrial laser scanner was performed to determine the morphology. Soil mass behaviour was analysed by 3D numerical simulation. A numerical model was created based on geotechnical tests. Taking into account the behaviour of the dry and wet models, the numerical simulation showed the most probable scenario of mass movement. The main reasons for the landslide were rainwater infiltration in the track basement and the unfavourable morphology of the area on which the railway embankment was located. The study demonstrates that combined methods—laser scanning, geotechnical testing of the soil material, and 3-dimensional numerical simulation—enabled the assessment of the causes of the analysed landslide.

Comparison of the Piezocone Penetrometer (CPTU) and Flat Dilatometer (DMT) Methods for Landslide Characterisation

“…Saturation of the soil with water is considered the primary natural cause of landslide activation [11]. As the groundwater level rises in the slope, pore pressures increase, which reduces the effective stress and thus the shear strength of the soil that builds the slope [12].…”

Integrated Remote Sensing Investigation for Suspected Landslide: A Case Study of the Genie Slope in the Sichuan-Tibet Transportation Corridor, China

“…In contrast, LiDAR data have a higher resolution than optical data and provide more realistic surface information through the processing of point cloud data, making it possible to achieve the more detailed identification and interpretation of geohazard bodies [17][18][19]. Consequently, LiDAR technology offers irreplaceable advantages in railway surveys [20][21][22][23]. As another alternative, InSAR technology plays an important role in the rapid identification and monitoring of surface deformation along railway lines by virtue of its ability to acquire measurements at all times of day and under all weather conditions, and it can achieve a deformation monitoring accuracy up to the millimeter scale [24][25][26][27][28][29][30].…”