A simple model for passive failure compression structure at the toe of landslide

Abstract

The toe of landslides is subject to compression stresses induced by the upward sliding masses and often characterized by a compression structure. These structures can evolve in passive toe thrust, which bias the geomorphologic evolution of the toe zone, particularly for prevailing longitudinal dimension landslide. This work presents a simple analytic model of the passive thrust at the toe of landslide based on the infinite slope approach to stability analysis. It is based on the analysis of the state of stresses according to Mohr circle representation and can be implemented also into a spreadsheet and making it possible to evaluate the form of failure surface at the toe of the landslide and the shear strength contribution to the factor of safety of a landslide. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.