Large-area damage prediction system based on finite element method for risk assessment of seismic slope failure in mountains area

Abstract

A simple finite element analysis system to evaluate the seismic slope stability in the mountains area is proposed. The time history of the dynamic ground response during strong earthquake can be estimated by an effective constitutive model of soil with appropriate soil parameters. A comparison of the calculated results with the observed damage distribution in old Yamakoshi village during Mid Niigata Prefecture Earthquake in 2004 is performed to validate the proposed analytical method. As a result, a few important conclusions, that will be useful to develop a more simple and effective method to evaluate the risk of seismic slope failure based on a local topographical and mechanical condition, are provided.