Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation on the Seepage Field and Stability of Soil Slope Subjected to Snowmelt Infiltration
Cutting slope failures occur frequently along the high-speed railways in Northeast China during the construction due to snowmelt infiltration. This study addresses this issue by applying a three-dimensional numerical model. The influence of the depth of accumulated snow (<i>d</i><sub&...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/19/2729 |
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| author | Shengyi Cong Liang Tang Xianzhang Ling Wenqiang Xing Lin Geng Xinyu Li Guoyu Li Hui Li |
| author_facet | Shengyi Cong Liang Tang Xianzhang Ling Wenqiang Xing Lin Geng Xinyu Li Guoyu Li Hui Li |
| author_sort | Shengyi Cong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cutting slope failures occur frequently along the high-speed railways in Northeast China during the construction due to snowmelt infiltration. This study addresses this issue by applying a three-dimensional numerical model. The influence of the depth of accumulated snow (<i>d</i><sub>s</sub>), daily temperature variation (Δ<i>T</i>), and freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles on the seepage field and stability of cutting slopes is discussed. The results demonstrate that water seepage due to snowmelt infiltration primarily extends through the ground surface by about 10 m. The deep-seated instability is likely to occur under a prolonged and highly accumulated infiltration, while shallow failure is associated with intense, short-duration snowmelt infiltration. The maximum degree of saturation (<i>S</i><sub>r</sub>) and pore-water pressure (PWP) values are observed at the slope toe. Increasing <i>d</i><sub>s</sub> and Δ<i>T</i> increase the <i>S</i><sub>r</sub> and PWP due to snowmelt infiltration and thereby decreases cutting slope stability. Compared to the <i>d</i><sub>s</sub> and Δ<i>T</i>, the F-T cycle is more likely to cause slope failure. In addition, the F-T cycle also induces the reduction of soil strength and the crack propagation. Overall, the conducted study provided useful help toward the process of safer design for cutting slope along the high-speed railway in seasonally cold regions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:48:36Z |
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| id | doaj.art-d0a30234bc864ccba6dcf40c593db9cf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:48:36Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0a30234bc864ccba6dcf40c593db9cf2023-11-22T17:01:46ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412021-10-011319272910.3390/w13192729Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation on the Seepage Field and Stability of Soil Slope Subjected to Snowmelt InfiltrationShengyi Cong0Liang Tang1Xianzhang Ling2Wenqiang Xing3Lin Geng4Xinyu Li5Guoyu Li6Hui Li7School of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, ChinaRailway Engineering Research Institute, China Academy of Railway Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, China Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, ChinaCutting slope failures occur frequently along the high-speed railways in Northeast China during the construction due to snowmelt infiltration. This study addresses this issue by applying a three-dimensional numerical model. The influence of the depth of accumulated snow (<i>d</i><sub>s</sub>), daily temperature variation (Δ<i>T</i>), and freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles on the seepage field and stability of cutting slopes is discussed. The results demonstrate that water seepage due to snowmelt infiltration primarily extends through the ground surface by about 10 m. The deep-seated instability is likely to occur under a prolonged and highly accumulated infiltration, while shallow failure is associated with intense, short-duration snowmelt infiltration. The maximum degree of saturation (<i>S</i><sub>r</sub>) and pore-water pressure (PWP) values are observed at the slope toe. Increasing <i>d</i><sub>s</sub> and Δ<i>T</i> increase the <i>S</i><sub>r</sub> and PWP due to snowmelt infiltration and thereby decreases cutting slope stability. Compared to the <i>d</i><sub>s</sub> and Δ<i>T</i>, the F-T cycle is more likely to cause slope failure. In addition, the F-T cycle also induces the reduction of soil strength and the crack propagation. Overall, the conducted study provided useful help toward the process of safer design for cutting slope along the high-speed railway in seasonally cold regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/19/2729snowmelt infiltrationslope stabilityfreeze-thaw cyclessoil crack propagationthree-dimensional modeling |
| spellingShingle | Shengyi Cong Liang Tang Xianzhang Ling Wenqiang Xing Lin Geng Xinyu Li Guoyu Li Hui Li Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation on the Seepage Field and Stability of Soil Slope Subjected to Snowmelt Infiltration Water snowmelt infiltration slope stability freeze-thaw cycles soil crack propagation three-dimensional modeling |
| title | Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation on the Seepage Field and Stability of Soil Slope Subjected to Snowmelt Infiltration |
| title_full | Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation on the Seepage Field and Stability of Soil Slope Subjected to Snowmelt Infiltration |
| title_fullStr | Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation on the Seepage Field and Stability of Soil Slope Subjected to Snowmelt Infiltration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation on the Seepage Field and Stability of Soil Slope Subjected to Snowmelt Infiltration |
| title_short | Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation on the Seepage Field and Stability of Soil Slope Subjected to Snowmelt Infiltration |
| title_sort | three dimensional numerical investigation on the seepage field and stability of soil slope subjected to snowmelt infiltration |
| topic | snowmelt infiltration slope stability freeze-thaw cycles soil crack propagation three-dimensional modeling |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/19/2729 |
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