A Consideration on Stability of Weathered Granite Cut Slopes Focusing on Weathering Engineering Properties

Abstract

The frequency of rainfall-triggered landslide has recently been increasing in Asian countries including Japan. In this paper, by reflecting the past findings that weathered granite is landslide-prone geological condition, engineering properties of weathered granite have been reviewed based on the past works. And, considerations on the stability evaluation in the weathered cut slope in Phuket, Thailand have been presented. As a result, it was pointed out that in the case of relatively steep cut slopes comprising weathered granite, the combination of both the storage of water in the prominent portion of fine-grain fraction generated by weathering, which distributes in relatively shallow area from the slope surface, and the reduction in a shear strength due to increase of degree of saturation become trigger of shallow landslide.