Rainfall has been recognized as a key factor in triggering landslides. However, it is not entirely clear why many landslides have been triggered by slight-to-moderate rainfall. The Mudui landslide that occurred in Sichuan Province, China, on June 22, 2020, exemplifies the evolution of landslides induced by seasonal rainfall, which can cause substantial damage to infrastructure. This landslide was a deep-seated debris slide with a volume of approximately 0.64 million m3. It occurred in colluvial deposits, which are heterogeneous soil-rock mixtures with high permeability that easily retain water. On the basis of detailed site investigations and various monitoring data-including interferometric synthetic-aperture radar (InSAR), ground-slope and subsurface-slope deformation monitoring, and hydrogeological monitoring-we investigated the landslide-triggering mechanism along with pre- and post-landslide kinematics and assessed the effects of remedial works. The results show that both the soil water content and the slope deformations have significant seasonal characteristics. The soil water content decreases during dry seasons and increases during rainy seasons. Correspondingly, the deformation rates increase with the onset of rainy seasons and decrease with the onset of dry seasons. The landslide area underwent progressive deformations linked to groundwater seepage, inducing a continuous deterioration of the soil body. Finally, prolonged rainfall triggered the landslide of the deteriorated soil mass. The results indicate that the adverse effects of long-term seasonal soil-water-content fluctuations need to be take into account in analyzing slope instabilities in colluvial deposits.
Pile -supported wharves in liquefiable soils are prone to severe damage during earthquakes. This study employs seismic isolation techniques to adapt for wharf construction, evaluating their seismic performance under lateral ground deformation due to liquefaction. Experimental and numerical analyses are necessary for confirming the efficiency of the isolation in decreasing the requirements for pile -supported wharves. The study initially tests two pile -supported wharves under geotechnical centrifuge conditions, one reinforced by isolation bearings and the other without. The objective is to simulate the force characteristics of isolated pile -supported wharves in liquefiable soils and to analyze the impact of isolation on reducing the seismic response of these wharves. Subsequent analysis delves into the interaction between inertia and kinematics for two types of pile -supported wharves, providing crucial insights. The development of plastic hinges for two kinds of pile -supported wharves under inertia and kinematics is also analyzed. Quantifiable thresholds are established to study the influence of isolation on the resistance of wharves to seismic disruptions, thus preventing pile -supported wharves damage.