Improved vulnerability assessment table for retaining walls and embankments from a working‐level perspective in Korea

Abstract

Climate change can lead to unpredictable slope collapse, which causes human casualties. Therefore, Korea has devoted significant effort to the management of slope disasters. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety of Korea, which oversees the safety of the nation’s people, has allocated a four‐year budget of $557 million to investigate, assess, and maintain steep slope sites. However, there have been fatalities caused by steep slope site evaluations based on inadequate knowledge and a single retaining walls and embankments (RW&E) assessment table. Therefore, the assessment table for RW&E‐type steep slopes needs to be improved in terms of its accuracy, simplicity, and ease of use. In this study, domestic and global evaluation methods were reviewed, problems associated with the existing RW&E assessment table were identified, and a focus group interview was conducted. The RW&E assessment table was improved through an indicator feasibility survey and analytic hierarchy processing. The improved assessment table was categorized from one to four classifications to reduce the ambiguity of the evaluation: concrete, reinforced soil‐retaining walls, stone embankments, and gabions. This study will provide the sustainability of slope safety and serve as a reference for classification and evaluation criteria across all national institutions that conduct RW&E evaluations.