Case Study of Man-Made Slope at Øysand, Norway
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applied sciences Article Evaluation and Monitoring of Slope Stability in Cold Region: Case Study of Man-Made Slope at Øysand, Norway Yunsup Shin 1,* , Jung Chan Choi 1, Santiago Quinteros 1, Ida Svendsen 2, Jean-Sebastien L’Heureux 3 and Joohyun Seong 4 1 Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Sognsveien 72, N-0855 Oslo, Norway; [email protected] (J.C.C.); [email protected] (S.Q.) 2 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway; [email protected] 3 Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, 7034 Trondheim, Norway; [email protected] 4 Korea Infrastructure Safety and Technology Corporation, Jinju 52856, Korea; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 8 May 2020; Accepted: 9 June 2020; Published: 16 June 2020 Abstract: Recently, the road and railways infrastructure developments in Norway have led to renewed interests on the geotechnical challenges associated with slope stability under freezing-thawing cycles. Despite the amount of research available on the topic, there are few comprehensive studies involving laboratory testing, numerical analysis, and field monitoring of a slope during a freezing–thawing. In this case study, a critical slope was identified in a cold region based on field and laboratory tests, and a series of numerical simulations were carried out to evaluate the governing factor of slope stability using finite element methods. A remote monitoring system was installed on a real scale man-made slope to observe its behavior against the governing factors of slope stability. As a result, it was found that slope stability at the critical slope was significantly impacted by the freezing–thawing action, which was confirmed by the initial field observations from 2019 to 2020. Later, continuous monitoring data could be used to update soil parameters and to implement an early warning system for the high risky slope areas effected by freezing–thawing action in many cold regions. Keywords: slope stability; monitoring; freezing–thawing; cold region 1. Introduction Research on the frost behavior of soils has been carried out since the 1960s in the cold regions of northern America, northern Asia, and northern Europe. Recent infrastructure developments of road and railways networks in Norway have led to renewed interests on the geotechnical challenges associated with slope stability under freezing–thawing cycles. The freezing–thawing cycles may cause slope instability due to soil deformation and strength reduction [1–3]. When saturated fine-grained soil is subjected to freezing temperatures (below 0 ◦C), part of the water in the soil voids is frozen to ice. A film of unfrozen water closed to the frozen soil particles is absorbed into the ice and formulate ice lenses. In this procedure, water is sucked up from the unfrozen soil void developing a gradient in the water potential in the same direction as the temperature gradient. [4]. Once freezing stops, due to the air temperature above 0 ◦C, the thawing progresses from the ground surface begins. During thawing, water escapes easily through the spaces formerly occupied by the ice, leaving the void empty and leading high compressibility and low soil strength [5]. This freezing–thawing cycles in a soil can significantly impact on the stability of a slope. The impact of freezing–thawing on the stability of slopes has been studied by numerical simulations using, e.g., Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 4136; doi:10.3390/app10124136 www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 16 Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 4136 2 of 16 strength [5]. This freezing–thawing cycles in a soil can significantly impact on the stability of a slope. The impact of freezing–thawing on the stability of slopes has been studied by numerical simulations coupledusing, e.g., thermal–hydraulic–mechanical coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical models [6]. Such models numerical [6]. Such research numerical concluded research that freezingconcluded of thethat soil freezing on the of slope the increasessoil on the its slope volume increases by attracting its volume water by from attracting the groundwater water from table, the while groundwater thawing reducestable, while the ethawingffective soilreduces strength the effective by increasing soil strength hydraulic by increasing gradients, hydraulic which can gradients, lead to slope which failure can (Andersland,lead to slope 2004)failure [ 7(Andersland,]. To prevent 2004) slope [7]. failure, To prevent slope monitoring slope failure, practices slope typicallymonitoring involve practices the periodictypically measurementinvolve the periodic of slope stabilitymeasurement by scanning of slope the stability slope surface by scanning to identify the andslope quantify surface the to natureidentify and and extent quantify of pit the slope nature movements and extent [8 of]. Fieldpit slope monitoring movements techniques [8]. Field may monitoring also include techniques devices thatmay measurealso include matric devices suction that and measure volumetric matric water suction content and [volumetric9]. water content [9]. The individual study of laboratory testing, numericalnumerical analysis, or fieldfield monitoring on the slope has been done to evaluate the stability of a slopeslope subjected to freezing–thawing cycles. However, therethere areare few few studies studies available available that that have have tested tested the soilthe insoil the in laboratory, the laborato evaluatedry, evaluated the slope the stability, slope andstability, monitored and monitored a man-made a man-made real scale slope.real scale The purposesslope. The of purposes this study of are this to study investigate are tothe investigate changes ofthe the changes slope stabilityof the slope at the stability Øysand at site the by Øysand performing site by site performing investigation site (Section investigation2), laboratory (Section test 2), (Sectionlaboratory2), totest evaluate (Section the 2), governing to evaluate factor the influencing governing the factor slope influencing stability using the numerical slope stability simulations using (Sectionnumerical3), establishingsimulations a(Section suitable 3), monitoring establishing system a suitable and predicting monitoring the slopesystem stability and predicting based on thethe measuredslope stability data based (Section on4 the). measured data (Section 4). 2. Site Investigations and Laboratory Tests 2.1. Ø. Ysand Test Site 2.1. Ø. Ysand Test Site Several possible sites were screened for thisthis study;study; those sites form part ofof thethe NorwegianNorwegian Geotechnical Test SitesSites projectproject [[10],10], whichwhich characterizecharacterize fivefive didifferentfferent sitessites withwith soilsoil compositionscompositions ranging fromfrom gravel gravel to clay.to clay. The The most most suitable suitable site was site the was Øysand the site,Øysand because site, of because its soil composition of its soil andcomposition the presence and ofthe a presence natural slope. of a natural slope. The ØysandØysand site site is is located located 15 km15 km south-west south-west from from Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway. Norway. The soil The deposit soil consistsdeposit ofconsists fluvial of material, fluvial underlainmaterial, underlain by deltaic by and deltai marinec and soil. marine The meandering soil. The me Gaulaandering River, Gaula which River, flows intowhich the flows Trondheimsfjord, into the Trondheimsfjord, borders the site bord toers the the east, site see to Figure the east,1. see Figure 1. Figure 1. Cont. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 4136 3 of 16 Appl. Sci. 2020,, 10,, xx FORFOR PEERPEER REVIEWREVIEW 3 of 16 Figure 1. Location and geological map of Øysand re researchsearch site ((google.mapsgoogle.maps andand www.ngu.nowww.ngu.no).). 2.2.2.2. Geotechnical Investigation ConeCone penetrationpenetration tests (CPTu), totaltotal soundingsounding (TS),(TS), andand aa boreholeborehole werewere performedperformed inin 20172017 andand 20192019 inin thethe studystudy areaarea (Figure(Figure2 2).). ForFor thethe firstfirst phase,phase, twotwo TSTS (OYSTS05(OYSTS05 andand OYSTS07)OYSTS07) andand oneone CPTuCPTu (OYSC07)(OYSC07) werewere performedperformed onon thethe toptop ofof thethe slopeslope andand oneone TSTS (OYSTS09)(OYSTS09) andand one CPTu (OYSC02)(OYSC02) atat thethe bottombottom ofof the the slope slope were were done done in in 2017. 2017. CPTu CPTu and an TSd TS are are used used for for the the identification identification of the of mainthe main soil layers.soil layers. CPTu CPTu is also is also used used to derive to derive strength strength parameters, parameters, which which are criticalare critical for stabilityfor stability analysis analysis of the of slope.the slope. (OYS: (OYS: Øysand Øysand site, site, TS: totalTS: total sounding, sounding, C: CPT) C: CPT) CPTU Total sounding SamplingSampling Piezometer Test Slope location Piezometer SiteSite boundaryboundary PVT-2 PVT-1 PVT-2 PVT-1 OYSC07 OYSTS05 OYSTS07 OYSB09 OYSTS09 OYSB09 OYSC02 PVT-1 PVT-1 PVT-2 Øysand test bed, Trondheim, Norway Figure 2. Location of test slope and field tests at Øysand site. Figure 2. Location of test slope and fieldfield tests at Øysand site. Additionally,Additionally, two two Piezometers Piezometers (PVT-1 (PVT-1 and and PVT-2) PVT-2) were were installed installed in in 2019 2019 at at di ffdifferenterent depths depths (4.5 (4.5 m andm and 8.8 8.8 m m from from the the top top of of the the slope) slope) to to measure measure the the pore pore water water