The objective of this study is to determine the impacts of expected climate change on slope stability. For this purpose, the case study of a slope instability, that was triggered in 2021 was selected. The stability analysis was performed considering the theory of rainfall infiltration and using Geo-Studio's SEEP/W module for the surface infiltration model of the slope. A parametric stability analysis of the slope was conducted to determine the importance of climate change on slope stability. Conditions for changes in volumetric water content, water permeability, porewater pressure, and groundwater flow are important. When soil permeability is low, the factor of safety decreases during rainfall events and on the days following, while when permeability is higher, safety increases after rainfall events. The effect of lower cohesion is nearly linear, with the factor of safety decreasing by 0.1 for every 1 kPa less cohesion. The increase in net infiltration of water may be the most critical factor for slope instability. The results of the analysis indicate that timely reduction of water net infiltration through planting and proper surface water runoff from the upper road and slope would be a relatively simple and inexpensive measure compared to the cost of remediating the landslide, considering expected climate change. Therefore, it is advisable to analyze all slopes with respect to the expected climate change, taking into account the potential impacts of climate change.
Bracko, T; Zlender, B; Jelusic, P
Implementation of Climate Change Effects on Slope Stability Analysis
Applied Sciences-Basel