Future Landslides

If we look at landslides from the earth’s perspective we can define them as a condition towards stress relaxation and minimization of potential energy. The earth is trying to come to equilibrium.  Landslides are formed either from natural conditions such as erosion of slope toe, geological uplifting etc or are manmade when extensive excavation or loading is taking place in the foot or the top of a slope respectively. These are the main reasons why landslides form but the triggering mechanisms for a landslide to occur may be different.

In 130226 landslidemy opinion the most important triggering factor for a landslide to occur is the modification of groundwater or pore pressure conditions. This issue becomes more important if we consider the climate change which is producing different rainfall conditions with abrupt changes on ground water conditions.

Due to weather pattern changes, ancient, dormant or newly formed landslides will start to occur all and all more frequently. This will affect the economies and life worldwide and is something that needs to be addressed not only from geotechnical engineers and geologists but also by government officials, politicians and decision makers in general.

Landslides will become a hot topic in the near future, here are some very interesting blogs dealing with this issue:

 

http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/

http://arizonageology.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.landslideblog.org/

http://science.kqed.org/quest/2012/11/08/earthquake-landslides-a-widespread-hazard/

http://ihrrblog.org/2012/07/16/stunning-images-of-four-recent-landslides/

http://slidingthought.wordpress.com/tag/bridge-of-the-gods/

About Chrys Steiakakis

Chrys Steiakakis is a practicing geotechnical engineer with more than fifteen years of experience in the field of geotechnical engineering. He earned his bachelor and master in mining engineering from the Technical University of Crete, Greece and a second master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA. He has been the technical director of engineering department of General Consulting ISTRIA for four years and now he is a partner and also provides his own consultancy services via Geosysta ltd. He has been involved in numerous highway, railway and mining projects. Chrys with his long term collaboration with the Technical University of Crete has participated in numerous research projects in the field of geotechnical engineering and rock mechanics and has provided self sustained seminars of geotechnical engineering in related areas for the Industry. His main field of experience covers all aspects of tunnel design, earthworks design and monitoring (slope stability, embankment in difficult ground, reinforced embankments and retaining walls), landslide investigation and mitigation, foundations for bridges and structures, risk assessment in geotechnical projects and value engineering in large projects.